Cowboys need to stop playing games with Ashton Jeanty if they don't plan of drafting him

Ashton Jeanty desperately wants to play with a star on his helmet again next season. He wore one while starring at Lone Star high school and now he wants to repeat that feat with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys are, predictably, playing their cards close to the vest when it comes to what they might do with their first round pick in April's draft. They own the No. 12 overall pick which is right around where most NFL Draft experts believe Jeanty will go off the board.

Running back is also a profound need for new head coach Brian Schottenheimer. He makes no secret of his desire for Dallas to run the ball more often next season. The team's top running back from last season, Rico Dowdle, is a threat to leave the Cowboys in free agency. Add all those facts up and it's easy to see why plenty of Dallas fans expect to see Jeanty selected with the team's Day One selection.

Brian Schottenheimer claims he's not familiar with Ashton Jeanty

Interestingly, Schottenheimer recently told reporters that he is "not too familiar" with the prolific college rusher. That comment should be taken with more than just one grain of salt. Schottenheimer may be overwhelmed with the responsibilities of his first NFL head coaching job at the moment, but the idea that he hasn't been briefed on a high-profile prospect like Jeanty is laughable.

If Schottenheimer hasn't actually learned a lot about Jeanty from his scouting department then the Cowboys aren't seriously considering drafting him. It's possible that Dallas does not want to draft a running back in Round 1 due to questionable nature of the value of that position. They could choose to spend the No. 12 pick on a more premium position like offensive tackle or edge rusher instead.

No matter what the Cowboys might say publicly, the hope is that they're being more direct and honest with Jeanty and his representatives. Getting his hopes of making his ideal NFL landing spot could true would be cruel and unusual. They don't need to make Jeanty any promises but leading him on would be an ugly move by the franchise's front office.