NFL Draft: Meet Potential Cowboys RBs Trey Benson & Braelon Allen To Replace Tony Pollard
Dallas Cowboys fans were left disappointed this season after an early playoff exit. Part of that was due to getting underwhelming production out of running back Tony Pollard after using a franchise tag on the 2022 Pro Bowler, so is it time that the team moves on by drafting a new leader for its running back room?
Our Mike Fisher is reporting that Dallas is preparing to draft a new top back rather than spend big money on Pollard - or on Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley and others of that ilk. So ...
Let's look at two running back prospects with the potential to suit up for "America's Team'' next season.
Trey Benson One of the top running back prospects in this year's class is Florida State’s redshirt junior Trey Benson, a former four-star recruit.
Benson (6-1, 221) spent the first half of his college tenure at Oregon, where he had a knee injury his freshman year, which resulted in his redshirt status.
This past season was Benson’s as a starter, and he dominated, helping the Seminoles rise back to national prominence for the first time in roughly a decade.
Although not the fastest running back, Benson is difficult to bring down thanks to his blend of power and agility, which allowed him to average 6.1 yards per carry in college on 316 rushes for 24 rushing touchdowns.
Where Benson is the least proven is as a pass catcher. In college, he only caught 33 passes for 371 yards and a touchdown. However, he did return a kickoff in 2022, so that’s a skill he possesses if needed in Dallas.
If Benson can prove he’s a better receiver than he had opportunities to show in college, there’s a chance the Cowboys will target him on day two of this year's draft and feed the missed tackle machine.
Braelon Allen If you want a running back who still has youth on their side, then say hello to Wisconsin Badgers rusher Braelon Allen, who just turned 20.
The young Wisconsin running back has many similarities to Benson, but his age and production as a rusher are astounding. Standing at 6-2 and weighing 240 pounds, Allen burst onto the scene by rushing for over 1,200 yards in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, and he never had less than 11 rushing touchdowns in a college season.
As for Allen’s total production, his junior season was the first in which he failed to eclipse 1,300 yards (1,116), but he did set a new career high for single-season receptions at 28.
Wisconsin has a reputation for producing great NFL running backs; just look at Melvin Gordon and Jonathan Taylor as recent Badgers to have become Pro Bowlers.
If the Cowboys decide to move on from Pollard and look toward the NFL Draft, Allen and Benson are two prospects worth monitoring.
Assuming either rusher can prove they have the necessary NFL speed and hands to succeed at the next level, one of them could be the next great back that Dallas feeds as they help lead the franchise to its fifth Super Bowl win.
