Final Cowboys 7-Round Mock Before 2024 NFL Draft

Round 3, Pick 87: MarShawn Lloyd, RB, USC

Where Dallas was right: Allowing Tony Pollard to leave in free agency.

Where Dallas was wrong: Not replacing him with a legitimate starter.

The Tennessee Titans indeed overpaid for Pollard. As good as he was during his five-year tenure in Dallas, Pollard couldn't take advantage when he was the lead back. He's best served in a committee and the Titans paid him to be a franchise back. That's why it was the right move for the Cowboys to stay out of that bidding war.

It doesn't mean they were right to replace him with Royce Freeman and Rico Dowdle. To be fair, both backs are fine and can work in a committee, but neither is going to keep defensive coordinators up at night. They're also not serious home run threats.

MarShawn Lloyd, on the other hand, is a threat to score from anywhere on the field.

Lloyd started his career with South Carolins and had 573 yards rushing, 176 receiving, and 11 total touchdowns in 2022. He then headed to USC, where he ran for 820 yards and caught 13 passes for another 232 yards. Lloyd finished his lone season in Southern Cal with an average of 7.1 yards per rushing attempt and 17.8 per reception.

He's also unlikely to be a bell-cow with 20-plus carries per game. But he can be dangerous if thrown into the committee with the aforementioned backs.