Ashton Jeanty's dream NFL Draft location might not love him back after all

Ashton Jeanty could not have been clearer when discussing where he'd truly love to end up. He wants to be the newest Dallas Cowboys running back. The only question is if the Cowboys want him as badly as he wants them.

The Cowboys are slated to pick No. 12 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, which is in the ballpark of where Jeanty, the top running back in the class, is expected to be taken. While that sounds like a match made in heaven, it's far from a slam dunk that the Cowboys would select Jeanty considering the other needs on their roster.

Sure enough, the latest mock draft from Dane Brugler of The Athletic ($) has the Cowboys taking Luther Burden III, a wide receiver from Missouri, snubbing Jeanty, who fell to the Denver Broncos at No. 20 overall.

Again, as much as Jeanty loves and wants to be a Cowboy, it's far from a done deal that that'd actually happen.

Ashton Jeanty might not get his Dallas Cowboys NFL Draft wish after all

On paper, Jeanty and the Cowboys are as seamless of a fit as there is. The Cowboys could use a boost in their running game, as the 100.3 rushing yards they were able to generate per game were the sixth-fewest in the NFL. Things got better for them once Rico Dowdle took the RB1 reins, but Dowdle doesn't compare to Jeanty, who is coming off one of the greatest collegiate seasons in recent memory.

The 21-year-old led the country with 374 rushing attempts, 2,601 yards, and 29 touchdowns on the ground. He finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting. He helped Boise State earn the No. 3 seed in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

Adding that kind of back would be game-changing for Dallas, especially with their need at the position. The problem, though, is that they have other needs. A guy like Luther Burden III would help them address their WR2 issue, which plagued their offense all season long. CeeDee Lamb is as good as it gets at the receiver position, but he can't be the only target for Dak Prescott to rely on if they want to compete with the elite competition in the NFC.

As appealing as Jeanty is, the Cowboys can take a game-changer at another position, like Burden at No. 12 overall, and find value in the backfield later in the draft. This mock has the Cowboys selecting TreVeyon Henderson of Ohio State in the second round, and the Cowboys could conceivably find value later in the draft as well.

Taking Jeanty in the first round wouldn't be a bad idea necessarily, but it would not be surprising at all to see the Cowboys prioritize positions early on that they deem to be more important and address their backfield later in the draft.