ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently indicated that the Dallas Cowboys were interested in running back Jaylen Wright before he was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the No. 120 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Cowboys didn’t have a pick in the round where the 21-year-old was selected.
“The Cowboys also really liked Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright, who went No. 120 overall (the 20th pick of the fourth round) to Miami,” Fowler wrote. “If the Cowboys had a fourth-rounder and Wright were still available, chances are they would have jumped on him.”
The Cowboys seemingly could benefit from acquiring another running back to fill out their depth chart. They recently signed Ezekiel Elliot to a one-year deal, but it’s debatable how much the 28-year-old has left in the tank, considering he ran for a career-low 642 yards in 17 games played with the New England Patriots during the 2023 regular season.
But Cowboys fans are surely holding out hope that he can replicate the success he enjoyed with the team earlier on in his NFL career. During his first stint in Dallas, which spanned seven seasons, Elliot led the NFL in total rushing yards twice and averaged the most rushing yards per contest in three separate seasons.
Furthermore, he was selected to three Pro Bowls and finished tied for third place in MVP voting as a rookie. Tom Brady — widely considered to be the greatest quarterback in the history of the league — and Matt Ryan were the sole two players who racked up more MVP votes than Elliot that season, with Ryan winning.
Moving on to the one that got away for the Cowboys in Wright, he spent the entirety of his three-season college football career representing the University of Tennessee. In 12 appearances with the Volunteers in the 2023 season, he totaled 1,013 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns while averaging an impressive 7.4 rushing yards per attempt.
For reference on how much Wright’s numbers with the Volunteers during his third and final season improved compared to his first two seasons with the team, he totaled 1,284 rushing yards combined during his freshman and sophomore years.
If Wright were to contribute with the Dolphins from the jump, that would seemingly only worsen the blow regarding the reality that the Cowboys were high on the youngster but missed out on him.
