Stephen Jones explains Cowboys thought process on drafting first-round running back

The Dallas Cowboys have the No. 26 overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, which starts on Thursday night.

Although Vegas thinks it’s mostly like that the Cowboys grab a tight end first, executive vice president Stephen Jones hinted on Monday that if the right running back were available, Dallas will heavily consider it.

“I think you have to pay attention to the history of the running back and what happens,” Jones said at the team’s pre-draft press conference. “Once you move down the line, it’s not as necessary that you have to get to that second contract. If there’s a good running back sitting there, I can’t imagine he’s not going to get a lot of attention from us about what he could do. If the right guy were there, we’d certainly look at it.”

More than a few fans would love it if the Cowboys found a way to land their next franchise running back in Texas‘ Bijan Robinson.

However, as a consensus first-rounder, Robinson may not be available for the Cowboys at No. 26 overall. Instead, the team would likely have to do what they haven’t done since 2012, which is trade up in the first round.

Jones on Cowboys grabbing Bijan Robinson: ‘You never know’

On 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday, Jones discussed the potential of drafting the Longhorns star.

“I’m sure when that first day is over, he’s certainly gonna have a team, and you never know,” Jones said.

“Bijan’s just had a great career at Texas,” Jones added. “I don’t think I’ve seen a set of circumstances where he’s not a first-round pick in almost any draft. So hats off to him.”

Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott also recently commented on Robinson’s game on Adam Schefter’s podcast.

“Honestly, second to Mississippi State, I’m a Texas fan, so I’ve seen a lot of his games,” Prescott told Schefter. “He’s a super-talented guy. Not only is he great running the ball and has the speed, but has the hands and route running ability.”

Robinson carried a huge workload for the Longhorns in 2022. He racked up 1,580 rushing yards on 258 attempts. He also added 314 yards on 19 receptions.

If Robinson doesn’t work out, the Cowboys have also shown interest in Ole Miss‘s Zach Evans and TCU star Kendre Miller. Both are potential round-three or four picks.