The Dallas Cowboys “really liked” Jaylen Wright and probably “would have jumped on him” if the team had a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
In August of last year, the Cowboys traded away a 2024 fourth-rounder to the San Francisco 49ers for quarterback Trey Lance. While the team had a pick near the end of the fifth round, Wright never came close to sliding that far.
But the Dolphins secured the running back, despite entering Day 3 of the 2024 NFL draft without a fourth-round pick either. Miami thought highly enough of Wright to send a 2025 third-rounder to the Philadelphia Eagles for the No. 120 overall selection this year.
Perhaps that would’ve been a prudent move for Dallas considering the way the team’s backfield has crumbled in recent years. For the majority of the last decade, the Cowboys relied on Ezekiel Elliott to handle the lion’s share of the workload, giving the back 2,300 touches over his seven seasons with the team.
But when Elliott’s rushing yards per carry dropped to 3.8 in 2022, the Cowboys cut ties to save salary cap space and franchise tagged Tony Pollard so he could be the successor. Pollard disappointed as a feature back, though, averaging just under 4.0 yards per carry in 2023 before he was allowed to walk in free agency.
After missing out on Wright and every other running back in the draft, the Cowboys re-signed Elliott, who looks to be in line to start for the team in 2024, despite managing only 37.8 rushing yards per game with the New England Patriots last year.
