FRISCO – NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. still believes the Dallas Cowboys will select a running back in two weeks. But in his latest predictions he’s changed who that player is.
Kiper, who has been covering the draft for 45 years for ESPN, released his 4.0 – and final – mock this week. In previous releases he’s had the Cowboys picking Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, but now has them settling for North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton.
“There’s not a big drop-off between Jeanty and Hampton,” Kiper said Tuesday on ESPN. “But there is a huge on between Hampton on the next level. The Cowboys badly need a running back and there are only two in this draft that are elite.”
Kiper has Jeanty off the board at No. 6, going to the Las Vegas Raiders. He believes the Tennessee Titans will draft Miami quarterback Cam Ward No. 1 overall.
The Cowboys have already experienced a running back overhaul this offseason, with last season’s leading rusher Rico Dowdle leaving in free agency and the signing of Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. Kiper admits the team could decide to fill another need with a playmaking receiver such as Texas’ Matthew Golden or Tetairoa McMillan of Arizona, but ultimately remains convinced new head coach Brian Schottenheimer will upgrade the backfield.
“I was torn here, as I think Dallas will look at all offensive playmakers,” Kiper said. “It needs a difference-making WR2 to take some of the load off CeeDee Lamb. But I’m not sure Texas’ Matthew Golden or Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan will go quite this early.
“Instead, I see the Cowboys trying to improve the run game, which managed 4.0 yards per carry and a league-low six TDs last season. Hampton has home-run ability. I’ve never been an advocate of the first-round running back, but team owner Jerry Jones isn’t afraid to address the position on Day 1.”
The Cowboys met with Hampton at the NFL Combine. He has launched up draft boards recently, after a 2024 season in Chapel Hill in which he rushed for 1,660 yards, caught 38 passes and scored a combined 17 touchdowns.
