![\"Ollie](\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/GettyImages-2195718659-e1740074451913.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780\")
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The\u00a0Dallas Cowboys\u00a0face a decision at running back heading into 2025. Dallas already cut ties with veteran\u00a0Ezekiel Elliott\u00a0before the 2024 season ended.<\/p>\n
Last season\u2019s starter Rico Dowdle is heading into NFL free agency in the coming weeks. This presents a massive hole at the position for the Cowboys to address this offseason.<\/p>\n
The most obvious solution is through the NFL draft. Many NFL mock drafts predict the Cowboys will take a big swing at Boise State Broncos star Ashton Jeanty with the No. 12 pick. Yet, Dallas could also address the position later in the draft.<\/p>\n
One player coming off a down season is Oklahoma State Cowboys standout Ollie Gordon II. The running back was once mentioned among the top running back prospects in the 2025 draft class, but Gordon is now widely projected to be a Day 3 selection.<\/p>\n
USA Today\u2019s K.D. Drummond\u2019s latest\u00a0NFL mock draft has the Cowboys selecting Gordon in the sixth round with the No. 188 pick.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what you need to know about Gordon as a potential fit for the Cowboys.<\/p>\n
Gordon had a stellar 2023 campaign posting 285 carries for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns in 14 appearances in 2024.<\/p>\n
The playmaker also added 39 receptions for 330 yards and a TD through the air.<\/p>\n
Gordon\u2019s 2023 production resulted in numerous honors, including being named an All-American and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.<\/p>\n
Things in 2024 did not go as planned for either Oklahoma State or Gordon.<\/p>\n
The running back failed to top 1,000 yards and dropped from 6.1 yards per carry to 4.6 yards in 2024. Gordon posted 190 carries for 880 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. The Oklahoma State star added 29 catches for 179 yards and a TD.<\/p>\n
Early in the 2024 college football season,\u00a0Brugler outlined\u00a0why Gordon is not a lock as an NFL prospect. Yet, Gordon\u2019s upside could be too enticing for the Cowboys to pass up if available later in the draft.<\/p>\n
\u201cThough he is a well-built athlete, Gordon is very much a finesse runner, especially as a finisher,\u201d Brugler wrote on September 10, 2024, story titled, \u201cWhich 2025 NFL Draft prospects caught our expert\u2019s eye in Week 2?\u201d \u201cHe is a 215-pound back who often runs like he weighs 195 pounds \u2014 and I mean that as both a compliment and criticism.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cGordon is always rying to avoid contact, which is part of what makes him so productive. But there are plenty of situations where you\u2019d like to see your running back lower his pads and drive through defenders instead,\u201d Brugler continued.<\/p>\n \u201cGordon is more likely to stay upright, though, which can cause him to lose life in his lower body and go backwards. This isn\u2019t a toughness issue, it\u2019s more of run-style concern.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n For a team like Dallas, the skepticism combined with the drop off in production could allow the franchise to buy low on Gordon.<\/p>\n The Athletic\u2019s Jon Machota\u00a0believes the Cowboys are unlikely to make a \u201cbig move\u201d at the position in NFL free agency.<\/p>\n Machota makes the case for Dallas selecting Jeanty with the No. 12 pick.<\/p>\n \u201cTo catch the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys need to operate more aggressively in March,\u201d Machota wrote in a February 20, NFL mock draft. \u201cI have doubts about that happening. They\u2019re unlikely to make a big move to get a standout back like Philadelphia did with Saquon Barkley. Drafting Jeanty is the next best option.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The\u00a0Dallas Cowboys\u00a0face a decision at running back heading into 2025. Dallas already cut ties with veteran\u00a0Ezekiel Elliott\u00a0before the 2024 season ended. Last season\u2019s starter Rico Dowdle is… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":36084,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Cowboys Are Unlikely to Make \u2018Big Move\u2019 at Running Back in NFL Free Agency<\/h2>\n
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