By james art 
The Dallas Cowboys hired Brian Schottenheimer of all possible head coaching candidates on Friday. Dallas fans have had a few days to process this news, and the hiring doesn’t sound any better. Even Jerry Jones ranks the 10th head coach in Cowboys history as a career assistant. Yes?
It is too early to conclude that Schottenheimer is a bad hire. He’s inexperienced, but maybe that’s what the Cowboys need — someone familiar with their offensive scheme who has built relationships in the building. Schottenheimer was ready for his next step, Jones himself, and the Cowboys are confident he’ll get them back to the postseason with a talented, healthy roster in 2025.
Before next fall, however, Dallas has a certain house to take care of. First, the Cowboys will fill out their coaching staff and prepare for the NFL Draft. The Cowboys hold the 12th pick in the April showcase. Dallas was linked to Boise State running back Ashton Giannati just a month ago, but recent mock drafts project the Cowboys moving on college football’s top running back.
Running backs are a dime a dozen these days, but thanks to the excellent seasons of Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley, the value of a true top-level leader is increasing by the game these days. If the Cowboys believe Jeanty can be one of those guys, they should pick him at #12 if he’s available. In early January, Jeanty rekindled Dallas’ interest in him, saying he “would love to play for the Cowboys, it would be a dream come true.”
Dallas feels like home for Jeanty, but it’s unclear if the Cowboys feel the same way. As for the role Schottenheimer played in all this. As the Athletic made clear after his hire, Schottenheimer needs to establish the Cowboys’ identity on offense.
“Schottenheimer’s first year as coordinator in Dallas, Dak Prescott was the NFL MVP runner-up and Ceedee Lamb had a career year. However, last year showed how much things can fall apart without a reliable running game. That made running the ball a priority.” Saad Yusuf wrote.
If running the ball is a priority in Dallas, then Schottenheimer has a problem. Beyond Rico Dowdle—who still hasn’t nailed the bell cow he needs to be at this level—the Cowboys’ backfield is barren. Drafting Jeanty would go a long way in solving that problem, though he’s not the only elite running back in this class.
Hiring Schottenheimer would seem to increase Jeanty’s chances of going to Dallas, if only by a slim margin. But as we’ve seen in the past with teams led by Jones, you never know what he’s capable of.