The Dallas Cowboys drafted Bo Scarbrough in the seventh round during this past April’s NFL Draft. The running back should help balance out the rushing game in 2018.
When the Dallas Cowboys selected Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft, it might have gone unnoticed to some, but many should become aware of the former national champion rusher as he’ll bring high-quality play to the Cowboys in 2018.
Make no mistake, Scarbrough won’t be the starting running back for the Cowboys anytime soon with Ezekiel Elliott at the helm of the Cowboys’ running back depth chart, but Scarbrough can bring his own unique style of play to the Cowboys in 2018 and beyond as he’s more than capable of playing a role within the offense.
Take, for example, his tenure at Alabama, with a running back by committee in place there within the Nick Saban-led Crimson Tide program. While at Alabama, Scarbrough had two seasons of 100-plus carries, and in 2016 the running back totaled 812 yards on 125 carries for 11 touchdowns. Just as impressive, he had a 6.5 yards per carry average.
No matter what level of football that is, a 6.5 yards per carry average is impressive and something the Cowboys should look into capitalizing to give Elliott a break or two during the season. In his final season at ’Bama, Scarbrough totaled 549 yards on 108 carries, with his yards per carry dropping to 5.1, but he still had eight touchdowns.
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Even with the potential Scarbrough potentially brings, there are those who caution expectations with Scarbrough in year one, as Jori Epstein of The Dallas Morning News interviewed AL.com Alabama beat writer Rainer Sabin about Scarbrough:
"There’s got to be some patience. He is a seventh-round pick so he’s probably not going to set the world on fire from the outset of his career. But if he fully invests in the playbook and culture there, I think he has the potential to succeed."
What could be untapped potential with a player in Scarbrough is his receiving skills. His abilities in catching the football improved each season with his reception total, though none of the numbers he had at Alabama jump off the page, either. As a sophomore, Scarbrough had four receptions for 22 yards, but last season as a junior Scarbrough caught 17 passes for 109 yards.
Though Scarbrough didn’t have any 100-plus yard rushing games last season, back in 2016 in the College Football Playoff Semifinal he had his most recent 100-plus yard game on the ground, racing for 180 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns against Washington. That game was a part of a four-game stretch where Scarbrough rushed for 90 yards vs. Auburn, 91 yards vs. Florida, 180 yards vs. Washington and 93 yards vs. Clemson.
Again, will Scarbrough become the absolute difference on the Cowboys offense? No, but he’ll provide a nice change of pace for the Cowboys, plus even if he’s a seventh-round choice, playing at Alabama, Scarbrough knows what it takes to play at a championship level.
Maybe the most exciting part of having Scarbrough on the Cowboys’ roster is the fact he possesses so much potential that most likely even the Cowboys don’t know exactly the type of player he can or will become, which is exciting in its own way.
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Last season, those who rushed the football for the Cowboys averaged 4.5 yards per carry, and even Alfred Morris, who had 115 carries, averaged 4.8 yards per carry and Rod Smith averaged 4.2 yards per carry on 55 rushes.
No disrespect to either one of those players, but Scarbrough is capable of those type of numbers and then some, which, again, makes is upcoming rookie season exciting. As Cowboys, fans what more is there to ask for at this point of the offseason?