NFL Mock Draft: 3 first-round mistakes Cowboys can’t afford to make

1. Trading up for Bijan Robinson

Jerry Jones loves running backs and that puts the Cowboys squarely in the picture to nab Texas star Bijan Robinson in the first round. That would understandably cause a lot of groaning inside a Dallas fan base that finally got rid of Ezekiel Elliott’s bloated contract this off-season.

In fairness to Robinson, a lot of scouts believe he can blossom into a superstar at the next level. Elliott’s departure coupled with Tony Pollard’s recovery from injury does make it reasonable to understand why the Cowboys would be interested in selecting Robinson.

If he slips all the way down to No. 26 it’s a hard move to argue with. The thing the Cowboys must avoid is the temptation to part with meaningful assets to move up and select him earlier in Round 1. Paying that kind of price for a running back would be a major misstep for an organization that should know better about their recent experience with Elliott.

Cowboys fans should hope that another team falls in love with Robinson somewhere in the 15-20 range. That will prevent Dallas from trading up to land the high-profile back. If a team in that range calls Jones about moving back it’s easy to envision a scenario where he overpays to land another running back with a big reputation.