Ashton Jeanty: Would Be 'Dope' to Play for Cowboys, Haven't Had NFL Combine Meeting

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is seemingly intrigued by the idea of potentially getting selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Jeanty, who attended Lone Star High School in Frisco, Texas, which is about 45 minutes north of Dallas, told reporters Friday that it would be "dope" if the Cowboys drafted him:

The 2024 Heisman Trophy finalist also told reporters that he has had meetings with the Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders, but not with the Cowboys yet.

Given Dallas' need at running back, it may be surprising to some that the Cowboys haven't met with Jeanty, but it likely has nothing to do with their interest level in the player.

Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram posted this week on X that there is "no point" in the Cowboys burning a combine visit on Jeanty since they can instead meet with him in Dallas Day, which is an annual event at which the Cowboys work out prospects from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The Cowboys are headquartered in Jeanty's hometown of Frisco, making him a natural fit for Dallas Day.

Jeanty, 21, is coming off one of the most dominant seasons by a running back in college football history.

He rushed for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns on 374 carries, while also catching 23 passes for 138 yards and one score.

Jeanty was the driving force behind the Broncos reaching the College Football Playoffs, and he went on to finish second in the Heisman Trophy voting behind only Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter.

Given his level of production, Jeanty is widely considered the top running back in the 2025 NFL draft, and the BR NFL Scouting Department ranks him as the No. 9 overall player in the class.

The Cowboys own the No. 12 overall pick in the NFL draft, which could potentially put them in position to take Jeanty, although it is far from guaranteed that he will be available.

After losing Tony Pollard to the Tennessee Titans in free agency last offseason, the Cowboys ranked just 27th in the NFL in rushing yards per game in 2024 with 100.3.

Rico Dowdle established himself as the Cowboys' starting running back as the season went on and had a strong year overall, rushing for 1,079 yards and two touchdowns on 235 carries, while also catching 39 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns.

Dallas has little else to speak of in the backfield, though, so taking a running back like Jeanty to pair with Dowdle could give the Cowboys one of the best one-two punches in the league.

The Cowboys arguably have even more pressing needs on both sides of the ball after going 7-10 last season, but Jeanty is a potential game-changer who could alter the entire dynamic of Dallas' offense under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer.