The Dallas Cowboys are expected to add a true No. 1 running back to the roster this offseason, though there is no guarantee that will happen in the upcoming NFL draft.
Going running back in the draft would make considerable sense given the depth of the 2025 class. However, the Cowboys pick at No. 12 in the first round, at which point headliner Ashton Jeanty is expected to be long gone.
Dallas should be able to find significant value further down the line in the form of a player like TreVeyon Henderson of Ohio State or Kaleb Johnson of Iowa.
But Dallas is also interested in winning now after paying huge money to the likes of QB Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and others in recent offseasons. Running backs typically translate well to the NFL during their rookie campaigns, but if the Cowboys don't find the right value or fit in the first couple days of the draft, there are a handful of potential trade options that could work out swimmingly.
Pro Football & Sports Network put together a list of one player each franchise could still trade ahead of next season. The name they came up with for the Jacksonville Jaguars was that of RB Travis Etienne Jr., a former first-round pick who is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2025.
"The Cowboys would loom as the most logical trade partner on paper," PFSN wrote on Friday, April 18. "Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer was the offensive coordinator when Jacksonville drafted Etienne in 2021. Etienne didn't play at all that season because of a preseason foot injury, but it stands to reason that Schottenheimer would welcome a reunion with the Cowboys lacking a clear lead back."
Jacksonville picked up the fifth-year option on Etienne's deal, which pays him a little more than $6 million this season. Spotrac projects his market value on a new contract at approximately $33 million over four years.
The Jaguars are trending younger at the position, as 23-year-old Tank Bigsby actually logged 18 more carries than the 25-year-old Etienne last season. If Jacksonville plans to transition to Bigsby as the full-time starter in 2026 anyway, then trading Etienne for a draft asset now makes considerable sense.
