Cowboys met with RB prospect ‘skyrocketing’ up NFL Draft boards – Randy Gurzi, SI.com

Cowboys meet with a first-round talent running back not named Ashton Jeanty.

The Dallas Cowboys are meeting with potential draft picks this week as they’re hosting their top 30 visits and ’Dallas Day’ prospects. Not every name has been confirmed but some of the biggest names in the 2025 NFL Drafthave made their way to The Star in Frisco.

One of those players happens to be North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton, who is skyrocketing up draft boards.

Seen as the consensus No. 2 back in this class, Hampton is ranked right behind Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. There’s not much separation, however, and NFL insider Jordan Schultz says the two are being compared to Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, who both went in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Schultz says both backs are expected to go early, which means Dallas would have to use pick No. 12 on Hampton. That is, unless they wanted to trade back and hope that he was still on the board.

Based on comments from head coach Brian Schottenheimer, it doesn’t seem likely the Cowboys would use such a high pick on a running back. They’re more likely to wait and pick a back on Day 2, especially since this class is loaded with talent.

Omarion Hampton would be a disastrous pick for the Cowboys at No. 12 overall – Marcus Mosher, The Landry Hat

Here’s why Hampton may not be such a good idea early in the draft.

Taking Omarion Hampton at No. 12 would be a major reach by the Cowboys

Running back is widely considered one of the least valuable positions on the football field. The common belief among most GMs in the NFL is that teams should only take “Money Five” positions inside the top 20. And those five positions are quarterback, pass rusher, offensive tackle, wide receiver, and cornerback. If you stick to those five positions, you’ll usually end up with value in Round 1.

However, there is argument that can be made for Ashton Jeanty in Round 1. He is the No. 3 player on the consensus board and would be considered a major value at pick No. 12. Yes, he doesn’t play a money-five position, but he’s an elite talent who should be considered at that pick.

But the same can’t be said for Omarion Hampton, the standout running back from North Carolina. While most people in this class believe he is the second-best running back in the class, that isn’t a consensus opinion. And the gap between he and Jeanty is much bigger than Hampton and the next back.

Hampton is currently No. 29 on the consensus board with TreVeyon Henderson (37) and Quinshon Judkins (43) not far behind. Picking Hampton at No. 12 would mean not only are the Cowboys ignoring more important positions, but they would be reaching significantly on a lesser player.

It’s worth noting that Hampton is still a very good running back prospect who is worthy of being first-round pick. He’s got a really good combination of size, speed, and power, which is hard to find. Hampton has been productive each of the last two seasons and projects as workhorse back in the NFL right away.

3 most likely outcomes for the Cowboys first-round pick – Mark Heaney, Inside the Star

If Dallas doesn’t look at running back with their first pick, where else could they go?

The Favorite: Tetairoa McMillan, Wide Receiver, Arizona

In the last week, the smoke around Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan and the Cowboys has started to look more like fire. McMillan, 22, is the most likely prospect to head to Dallas right now. When you have every insider making the connection, the team bringing him in for a top-30 visit, and limited landing spots ahead of the Cowboys at 12, you’ve got an obvious match brewing quickly.

It’s no secret the wide receiver room needs a jolt, especially after veteran Brandin Cooks left for a Saints reunion, and McMillan is the best prospect at the position. An All-American and First-Team All-Big 12 selection in 2024, McMillan showcased what he would do with a star on his helmet with the Wildcats. I’m willing to bet that 84 receptions, 1,319 receiving yards, and 8 touchdowns sounds good to Brian Schottenheimer right now.

His 2024 statistics aside, McMillan’s intangibles also make him an attractive prospect, as his 6’4″ 219 lb frame would bring a new element to Dallas’ offense. If you’re betting on the Cowboys first-round pick right now, your money should be on Tetairoa McMillan.

The Dark Horse: Matthew Golden, Wide Receiver, Texas

If McMillan isn’t the selection, that doesn’t mean it won’t be a wide receiver. Texas’ Matthew Golden is gaining serious momentum to be the next WR2 in Dallas. Originally a Houston Cougar, Golden transferred to the Longhorns before the 2024 season, and he surpassed all expectations. He led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns, and was named Second-Team All-Big 12 in the process.It was originally supposed to be Isaiah Bond’s wide receiver room, but Golden took it over. It seems like that could happen in the draft as well, with the Houston native passing up McMillan.

Dallas’ interest in Golden is very real, and after running a 4.29 40-yard dash, his stock is higher than ever. If the Cowboys want him, it likely has to be with the 12th pick. The separation between Golden and McMillan is narrowing, so it may not even take a team selecting the Wildcat before Dallas for the Longhorn to be their top choice. He could be the WR1 in this draft class.

Cowboys, Schottenheimer having a developmental QB2 in Joe Milton is a big deal – Sean Martin

Why trading for Joe Milton is so important for the Cowboys.

Through all the Dallas Cowboys have done to address their roster this offseason, questions remain on both the personnel and coaching side when it comes to how much this team has truly improved and is ready to compete in head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s first year. The Cowboys had been in a bit of a lull in adding new players, seemingly content with the state of their roster ahead of the draft, until Thursday when they swapped yet another day three compensatory pick for a player at a position of need. The Cowboys acquired former New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton, a 2024 sixth-round pick out of Tennessee, for a fifth-round pick. The Cowboys also picked up an additional seventh-round pick in the deal.

Dallas getting active in the player acquisition process again here early in April also provides the latest chance to discuss Brian Schottenheimer’s outlook for year one. After an extremely negative initial reaction to the Cowboys going with an internal candidate promoted from an offensive coordinator role after the Cowboys offense struggled so much on offense a year ago, Schottenheimer was able to put together an impressive staff that went a long way in earning some much needed fan trust. After an initial wave of free agent signings and trades though, there hasn’t been much to judge Schottenheimer by, and whether or not he is actually the right coach to lead this team into what will effectively be the start of Dak Prescott’s new contract is still a great uncertainty.

The Joe Milton trade doesn’t at all change the fact the Cowboys are built to move forward as Prescott’s team, and will go as far as he can take them with an offense still lacking an obvious solution to the run game. It does change the dynamic of an all-important room inside of The Star though, and one that Schottenheimer should naturally gravitate towards given his background. The Cowboys kept a very tight circle in the QB room under Mike McCarthy, who talked openly and often about his QB development school and how much he enjoyed keeping that as a constant between Prescott, Cooper Rush, and most recently Trey Lance as backups. Schottenheimer was on McCarthy’s staff for three years of his tenure, and made one of the very few internal hires on his first staff as HC for QB coach with Steve Shimko. Shimko comes from a similar rank as Schottenheimer, promoted from offensive assistant to QB coach. Maintaining the sanctity of the quarterbacks room is something Schottenheimer clearly wanted to keep in place, but adding Milton gives the Cowboys something new they have not had in the room in some time. Milton represents the first young, developmental, still potentially on-the-rise QB they’ve had as a backup in some time.

Trey Lance was supposed to bring some of these qualities, but the former first-round pick had already played in eight games and shown his clear strengths and weaknesses in all of them before arriving in Dallas. Milton only appeared in one game as a rookie, starting the last game of the regular season for the Patriots against the Bills, and winning 23-16 with 241 yards, a 75.9% completion rate, a passing touchdown, and a rushing touchdown.

The dynamic of having a young QB like Milton in the organization now is an underrated move when it comes to evaluating the things many fans are desperate to get a read on Schottenheimer’s ability to coach. Intangibles like leadership, connecting with players, and making young players better. Joe Milton doesn’t need to become anything close to the QB of the future under Schottenheimer for this move to be a success, but seeing just how much the new head coach can get out of him, and what value he will provide in the understanding of a new scheme, is paramount. The way Prescott’s and Milton’s trajectory are lined up right now is also ideal. Milton can get better for the sake of becoming a reliable backup without any expectation to push Prescott as the established high-end starter. This dynamic breeds healthy competition and the type of teaching the Cowboys want between quarterbacks, as opposed to the often dysfunctional dynamic that develops between quarterbacks honestly competing for one starting job.