Picking the best Round 3 draft target for the Dallas Cowboys after the 2024 NFL Combine

My colleague Travis May mocked Allen to the Cowboys as early as the second round early in February on a three-round mock. Getting him in the third is definitely possible though, considering Allen ranks 87th per the consensus board. 

Allen didn't particularly light up the Combine

Although he remains one of the top running backs ahead of the NFL Draft, there's no question he could've done better in Indianapolis. Per A to Z Sports' official athletic composite score, he ranked outside of the Top 10 backs at Indy:

Louisville's Isaac Guerendo, who led the position in the above metric, was dubbed my many as the biggest winner at the position during the Combine, including my colleague Destin Adams who wrote:

If Louisville RB Isaac Guerendo wasn't on your radar before the Scouting Combine, he should be now. Guerendo led all RBs with the fastest 40-yard dash (4.33) and the highest vertical (41.50"). He also had the 2nd furthest broad jump (10'9") to round out his elite day. I don't think many teams will consider Guerendo a day-one starter option. But teams looking for a change of pace RB or just a depth addition to their RB room should prioritize a player like Guerendo, who just showed how elite of an athlete he truly is. 

That being said, the Cowboys are likely higher on Allen than most of the above names. At Indy, the front office formally met with Allen, Audric Estime (Notre Dame), Trey Benson (Florida State), and Ray Davis (Kentucky). Expect them to target a RB in Day 2. 

Cowboys need to build RB room from the ground up

The truth is this year's draft class will present many quality running backs starting in Day 2 and the Cowboys will need to pick their favorite flavor and work with what's available. But what we do know is the RB room needs to be rebuilt with Tony Pollard hitting free agency and the best way to go about it would be drafting somebody in the middle rounds. 

Additionally, the Cowboys should look into adding a veteran free agent to complement the rookie and round out the squad with Rico Dowdle or maybe even Deuce Vaughn despite a complicated rookie year.

Final word

Getting somebody like Allen would be great for a Cowboys team needing to rebuild its RB room the right way. If Pollard does return for another year in Dallas, it will take a significantly cheaper deal than what's expected. Even then, the front office would be smart to look into boosting the RB committee with a rookie.