T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted T.J. Yeldon in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft with the hopes that he could develop into their featured back. Fast-forward two years and Yeldon is now at best third on the depth chart behind Leonard Fournette and Chris Ivory.
Things haven’t exactly worked out the way the Jaguars were hoping when they spent a second round draft pick on the former Alabama RB, which means they could be parting ways at some point this off-season. This could actually be good news for the Dallas Cowboys because I personally believe he would make a really good complement to Ezekiel Elliott.
If my memory serves me correctly, the Dallas Cowboys were pretty high on Yeldon coming out of Alabama. I think he was a serious consideration for them in the 2015 draft in the second round, but the Jaguars beat them to the punch.
At 6’1″, 223, Yeldon has the size teams look for in an every down back, but is probably better suited for a complement role in the NFL. He is elusive for an RB his size and has exceptional foot quickness to weave and dart through traffic in the running game. He is a one cut runner with exceptional vision, which fits perfectly into the Cowboys zone blocking scheme.
Yeldon’s best trait though is as a receiving threat out of the backfield. He has soft natural hands and could come in and take over the role left by the departed Lance Dunbar. This was the area of his game that the Jaguars utilized the most. He had 50 receptions for them in 2016 and 36 as a rookie.
I really think T.J. Yeldon would be the perfect complement for Ezekiel Elliott and could possibly be an upgrade over Darren McFadden. But, the Jacksonville Jaguars are unlikely to release him without trying to find a trade partner first. This could take the Cowboys out of contention, but I would be willing to part with a late round draft pick in 2018 to acquire his services.
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