The Dallas Cowboys need a legitimate running back in the worst kind of way, and essentially all of the NFL mock drafts reflect that less than one month ahead of the first round.

Analysts have linked Dallas to a running back with the No. 12 pick — either Ashton Jeanty of Boise State, should he drop that far, or more likely Omarion Hampton of North Carolina if Jeanty comes off the board at No. 6 to the Las Vegas Raiders or No. 10 to the Chicago Bears.

However, there is another path the Cowboys could take involving a trade with the San Francisco 49ers for star running back Christian McCaffrey. Aaliyan Mohammed of The Sporting News authored a trade pitch on Wednesday, March 26, in which Dallas would flip the No. 76 pick in the third round of this year’s draft along with a third-rounder in 2026 to San Francisco in exchange for the three-time All-Pro running back.

“[The 49ers] are gearing up to pay Brock Purdy and may want to rebuild a young roster around him,” Mohammed wrote. “General manager John Lynch has already expressed his desire to get younger and shed some of their spending. Trading McCaffrey could help on both fronts.”

McCaffrey led the league in rushing with 1,459 yards in 2023 and scored a total of 21 touchdowns, but he played in just four games last season due to injury issues. He will enter next season at 29 years old and is under contract for the next three campaigns. McCaffrey recently signed a two-year extension worth a total of $38 million.

His age and recent injury history are concerns, but when healthy McCaffrey is a true dual-threat running back and one of the best at his position in the entire league. Trading two third-round picks for McCaffrey wouldn’t break the Cowboys’ drafts in 2025 or 2026, and would free up Dallas to address another position of need via a rookie contract with the No. 12 overall selection late next month.