The Dallas Cowboys will be in need of a running back this offseason, as Tony Pollard is hitting free agency and may end up walking after a disappointing 2023 campaign.
The problem for the Cowboys is that they are over the salary cap, meaning it will be difficult for them to sign a star halfback like Saquon Barkley.
Dallas may need to look to the middle rounds of the NFL Draft this spring in order to fill the void in the backfield, and Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus sees a perfect target for the club.
University of Notre Dame running back Audric Estime.
Sikkema is projecting that Estime will go in the fourth round of the draft, and he sees the Cowboys jumping at the opportunity to add him to their roster.
“They likely won’t go into the draft without a veteran running back on the roster, but Estime would be a solid addition, no matter what,” wrote Sikkema. “He continues the trend of giving the Cowboys bigger players in this mock draft. Notre Dame has Estime listed at 5-foot-11.5 and 227 pounds. But he’s more than just a big back. He brings good vision and footwork, which have yielded an elite 91.2 rushing grade this season.”
Estime is coming off of a brilliant junior campaign at Notre Dame in which he racked up 1,341 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging a robust 6.4 yards per carry. He also logged 17 catches for 142 yards.
The 20-year-old began getting serious playing time for the Fighting Irish during his sophomore season when he registered 920 yards and 11 scores on the ground, logging 5.9 yards per attempt.
Dallas could certainly use Estime’s efficiency, as the team averaged just 4.1 yards per tote in 2023. Much of that was thanks to Pollard’s underwhelming season, as he recorded a pedestrian four yards per carry.
Running back is no longer a truly prioritized position in the early rounds of the draft, so it’s entirely possible that the Cowboys may find their next lead rusher in the middle or later rounds.
Perhaps Estime could be that guy for Dallas.
More must-reads: