Cowboys ‘Next Tony Pollard’: Draft Arkansas ‘Rocket’?
After franchise tagging Pro Bowl running back Tony Pollard, could the Dallas Cowboys look to draft Arkansas Razorbacks running back Raheim Sanders to replace him?
Of course, it’s ridiculously early to talk about next year’s NFL Draft, but some would say that it’s more ridiculous that Pro Bowl running backs such as Pollard, Josh Jacobs, and Saquon Barkley failed to sign long-term contracts with their franchise, so let’s speculate.
There’s no shortage of electric players running the ball in college football, but what makes Sanders, nicknamed “Rocket,” someone that should be taken seriously as an NFL player is his elite size and speed combination. Unlike recent Cowboys draft pick Deuce Vaughn, Sanders is massive. The Arkansas rusher’s listed measurables had him standing 6-2 and weighing 237 pounds. He has Derrick Henry-type size and breakaway speed.
In 2023 he averaged 111 rushing yards per game (second most amongst returning SEC rushers), had 16 runs that went for 20 or more yards (second most amongst Power Five running backs), and 1,466 total rushing yards (sixth most in the Power Five).
The Cowboys, by the way, are quite aware of all of this, given owners Jerry and Stephen Jones’ ties to the school.
To Pollard’s credit, he’s done everything in his power to shine in Dallas. In 16 games last season, he had 39 receptions and averaged 5.2 yards per carry (most among 1,000-yard rushers). However, with the Cowboys not signing him to a long-term contract, it’s reasonable to speculate that they believe alternative solutions will be available next offseason.
Sanders could be Dallas' solution for replacing Pollard’s production in the next draft. As a sophomore, Sanders averaged 6.5 yards per carry and had 28 receptions in what’s regarded as college football’s toughest conference, the SEC. Pollard is a great three-down playmaker, but Sanders’ 28 receptions at his size indicate that he could be an even bigger, younger, and faster version of Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowler Najee Harris.
Next year, it’s critical that Pollard produce if he wants to extend his career not only as a Cowboy but in the NFL as a whole, given the nonexistent market for veterans in free agency. With freakish athletes like Rocket Sanders in college football’s stable of potential workhorses, no veteran running back’s job is safe once the season ends.
You can follow Isaiah DeAnda Delgado on Twitter and Instagram @IsaiahDDelgado.
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