When it comes to the NFL Draft, it's safe to say that Jerry Jones has a type. If he gets his way, his front office may take a running back in Round 1 that reminds a lot of scouts of former Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott.
Plenty of Cowboys fans would be happy to see their favorite team utilize their first round pick on Boise State star Ashton Jeanty. He is the consensus No. 1 back in this year's draft class. The problem Dallas faces is that Jeanty will likely be off the board when they go on the clock with the No. 12 overall pick.
Evidently that does not mean the Cowboys won't go for a running back with their first selection. The Cowboys hosted former North Carolina standout Omarion Hampton this week. That sends a clear indication that he's in the mix for them with the No. 12 pick.
North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton continues to skyrocket up draft boards. One executive I spoke with compared him and Ashton Jeanty to the Bijan Robinson-Jahmyr Gibbs class, saying both will go “very early.”
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 5, 2025
Hampton — who’s being lauded for his combination of vision, balance and… pic.twitter.com/mCPintG3f4
Hampton has an elite combination of size and speed that allows him to project as a No. 1 running back at the next level. He lacks the uncanny ability to break tackles that separates Jeanty from his peers, but he is a more powerful runner. That physicality appears to appeal to Jones in the same way that Elliott's power running did during his prime.
It's unclear at this juncture just how much competition the Cowboys might face to land Hampton so early in Round 1. Recent reports claim the powerful back's draft stock is "skyrocketing." It's possible that Dallas might need to stand pat at 12 if they want to secure his services.
A potential trade down would hold the appeal of helping the Cowboys accumulate more draft capital to leverage this season. Of course, that might also put the team at risk of watching another team swoop in and take Hampton instead.
In the end, this might boil down between a battle of wills between Jones and his front office staff. If Jones is dead set on landing a running back in Round 1 it won't be much of a battle. He'll win out and Dallas will line up with Hampton in their backfield when the 2025 regular season begins.