NFL draft analysts aren’t particularly high on this year’s running back class, though several day two and three prospects could emerge as impact players at the next level.
Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty stands as the consensus top running back prospect, but his 5-foot-9, 215-pound frame has raised questions about his potential ceiling in the NFL.
Iowa junior Kaleb Johnson presents a more prototypical NFL build at 6-foot, 225 pounds.
Johnson rushed for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns while averaging 6.4 yards per carry in 2024. His performance earned him first-team all-Big Ten honors and the conference’s Running Back of the Year award.
Draft projections currently place Johnson as a potential second-round selection in April.
Bleacher Report analyst Alex Ballentine identified Johnson as an ideal target for the Dallas Cowboys in his recent team-by-team draft analysis.
“The Hawkeye is built like a feature NFL back at 6’0″, 225 pounds and has the right blend of vision and athleticism to make a variety of run schemes work,” Ballentine wrote.
The Cowboys desperately need running back help after ranking 27th in rushing yards, 30th in yards per attempt, and last in rushing touchdowns during the 2024 season.
Rico Dowdle barely eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for Dallas last season and is now a pending unrestricted free agent.
Tyler Brooke of The 33rd Team compared Johnson to Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner.
“Conner, at 6-foot-1 and 233 pounds, has a similar build to Johnson,” Brooke wrote. “He has played with vision, power, and contact balance to be a productive running back throughout his career. He’s averaged more than 3.0 YAC per carry in eight NFL seasons and hasn’t shown severe signs of slowing down.”
Conner has topped 1,000 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons.
Cowboys’ new offensive coordinator Klayton Adams previously served as the Cardinals’ offensive line coach in 2023 and 2024, contributing to Conner’s career-best production. Conner hadn’t recorded a 1,000-yard season in his first six NFL campaigns.
While the running back connection makes sense, Dallas faces challenges in addressing the position. The Cowboys’ offensive line ranked as merely average in 2024, unlike Arizona’s top-tier unit.
Dallas also has multiple roster needs heading into the offseason with limited salary cap flexibility to address them.
