DALLAS — After finally addressing the safety need with the selection of Donovan Wilson out of Texas A&M with pick 213 at the end of the 6th round of the NFL Draft, the Cowboys turned to the offensive side of the ball with their next pick at 218.
It was there at the top of the 7th round that the Cowboys took their second running back with Mike Weber out of Ohio State joining the draft class perhaps to replace the Buckeye that left over the offseason in Rod Smith.
The Cowboys came into the draft with a stated desire to solve the running back depth on the team and it appeared as if they had already addressed the matter earlier in the day when they picked Tony Pollard out of Memphis with the 128th overall pick in Round 4.
Along with the NFL's rushing leader Ezekiel Elliott, Pollard, and now Weber, Dallas is hoping to build something of a three-headed monster out of the backfield with Pollard being mostly a returner and gadget player.
Weber is a back that has shown good vision and is a reliable option as a pass catcher. He isn’t going to take touches away from Elliott, but he can spell the two-time rushing champion as needed.
The added depth gives Dallas a real competition behind Elliott for the number two back with Darius Jackson also in the mix along with the two draftees. The competition and complements to each other's games should bring out the best in each of them.
I wrote about Weber earlier in the week as a possible late round option for Dallas along with Pollard. As it turned out, the Cowboys took both of them.
As far as what Weber brings to the table, here's what I wrote then:
"Weber possesses good vision and balance which are a big key for quality running backs at the next level. He does show good agility as well. As a receiver he has a good catch radius to go along with good hands. His big knock might be his blocking ability, as far his technique goes, that will need to be refined at the next level."
The running back position was a bit of a question mark as far as depth before the weekend started but, with two picks allocated to the position, the Cowboys can now look to the rest of the 7th round to fill a different need and prepare for the undrafted free agency rush that is soon to follow.
What do you think about the Cowboys using two picks on running backs in the draft even though they have the NFL's leading rusher in Ezekiel Elliott? Share your thoughts on the refreshed RB depth with Patrick on Twitter @DraftCowboys.
