Former Cowboys head coach laughs off Ashton Jeanty, Emmitt Smith comparisons
Yesterday at 12:37 PM
While the Dallas Cowboys could select Ashton Jeanty in the NFL Draft, some believe that he’s a resemblance of a Hall of Famer, Emmitt Smith.
Former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett wasn’t a fan of that claim. However, from a statistical perspective in college, both were similar.
Both Smith and Jeanty played three years in college. Smith finished with 3,928 rushing yards in college and 36 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Jeanty rushed for 4,769 yards and 50 touchdowns.
Even with the numbers, Garrett was asked on the Dan Patrick Show about the comparison when an analyst predicted Jeanty to have a similar career to Smith.
“Did you tell that analyst that Emmitt Smith rushed for over 18,000 yards in the NFL and he was kind of good,” Garrett said, laughing. “If he reminds you of Emmitt Smith but he's faster, you probably should draft him. I just think you've got to be careful talking about that. It reminds me of one of the greatest players ever to play in the NFL.
“I could see what they're saying, he seems to be a guy who is not overly flashy but is hard to tackle. He's got excellent contact balance, always finishing forward. Those guys make a difference on your team.”
Jason Garrett sees Cowboys’ Emmitt Smith, Ashton Jeanty comparison
Garrett played with Emmitt Smith on those great Cowboys teams of the 1990s as Troy Aikman's backup. Smith himself was the 17th overall pick in the 1990 draft out of Florida.
As the former head coach mentioned, the Cowboys legend wasn’t the flashiest player, but one of the hardest to bring down. He had excellent control and quality speed, but all of the intangibles.
Smith had one of the longest and most fruitful careers of any running back and any player in NFL history. On the flip side, Jeanty made a statement in college.
Because of that, Jeanty was the runner-up in the Heisman Trophy race. Many thought that he should’ve won the trophy over Travis Hunter.
Regardless of that, the comparisons between the Boise State football star and Smith seem far-fetched. However, Jeanty is expected to also go somewhere in the middle of the first round. Not to mention, the Cowboys need a running back.
This could be a generational moment since the franchise hasn’t had a player of Smith’s caliber at the position since he left the team.
The 2025 NFL Draft could change all of that if the Cowboys land Jeanty in their laps.
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