Ashton Jeanty to Cowboys in Mel Kiper, Field Yates' Joint 2025 NFL Mock Draft

There's plenty of uncertainty within the Dallas Cowboys organization right now as they look for their next head coach, but the team has an important draft coming up as they look to build for the future.

ESPN's Field Yates and Mel Kiper Jr. put together a new mock draft on Thursday, and the player they projected to go to Dallas is pretty exciting. Yates had the Cowboys picking Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the 12th overall pick.

"I'll say this about Ashton Jeanty, and I've said it before, I'll reiterate it," Yates said (6:00 mark). "We talked all about the gaudy running back statistics this year. The rushing, off the charts. Over 2,000 rushing yards. It felt like he scored a touchdown every time he touched the football... Excellent vision, contact balance, breakaway speed, durability, ran hard in the fourth quarter despite the taxing workload."

Kiper agreed with Yates' pick, nothing the Cowboys' past history of finding running backs in the draft.

"They've done a great job identifying running backs, taking them, plugging them in and look what they've been able to do," he said. "For me, I agree wholeheartedly."

Jeanty had one of the best seasons by a running back in recent memory, collecting 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, averaging 7.0 yards per carry on his way to being named a Heisman Finalist. Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department lists Jeanty as the No. 7 overall player in this year's class as well as the class' top running back

Some teams are hesitant about drafting a running back as early as the first round, but if there's one back that deserves to be off the board in the first round, it's Jeanty.