The Cowboys need to bolster their backfield this upcoming offseason, which has many under the assumption that they will target Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.

However, in The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s latest projections, Dallas passes up on Jeanty and addresses another positional room on the offensive side of the ball with Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden II.

The cries for Ashton Jeanty here will be loud — and it wouldn’t be surprising if, ultimately, he is Dallas’ pick. But the Cowboys also need more explosive options in the passing game, and their in-season trade for Jonathan Mingo won’t prevent them from going receiver in Round 1.

Despite a mediocre 2024 campaign, Burden is strong at the catch point and at his best creating with the ball in his hands.

The Cowboys’ running game has been awful this season, averaging only 85.8 yards per game, which is second-worst in the NFL. On the other hand, even without Dak Prescott under center, Dallas is still getting good production through the air, boasting the seventh-best passing offense.

There’s no denying that Burden would supply the Cowboys’ offense with an explosive and dynamic weapon to complement CeeDee Lamb. Burden finished his three-year Missouri career with 192 catches for 2,263 yards and 21 touchdowns.

However, by selecting Jeanty, he would fix Dallas’ most significant offensive issue from the jump and take some of the load off Prescott.

Jeanty is a workhorse of a back who has rushed for 2,288 yards and has accounted for 28 total touchdowns this season. Jeanty is only 340 yards shy of Barry Sanders’ FBS single-season rushing record.

Additionally, Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle are only under contract through the end of this season, making the Cowboys’ need for a high-volume back much more pressing.