The son of one of the most iconic Cowboys ever is declaring for the NFL Draft, and he could help fill a team need in Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys might end up getting the son of the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, Emmitt Smith.
With Javonte Williams set for free agency after a career year, the future is blurry for the Dallas Cowboys running back position. So it’s only likely that make additions to the room at some point in the offseason. Well, they’ll have the option to add the son of one of the most iconic players in team history.
That’s because Texas A&M running back EJ Smith IV, the son of Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, announced on social media he is declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. And if the Cowboys are interested, they should have a strong chance of landing his services.
Cowboys could likely land EJ Smith IV if they want to
Despite the direct relationship to Emmitt Smith, EJ’s draft stock isn’t considered to be very high. According to the consensus board, he currently ranks as the 707th best prospect in the 2026 class.
That doesn’t mean Smith IV isn’t worth taking a shot on. He’ll arrive at the NFL with plenty of experience under his belt after spending four years at Stanford before closing his collegiate career with the Aggies.
Smith was a four-star prospect coming out of high school and was a 2020 Under Armour All-America Bowl participant.
Despite drafting multiple running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cowboys barely saw the rookies take the field. And with Williams being a pending free agent, I wouldn’t be surprised if the front offices seeks additional young RB options next spring. The team has had success targeting UDFA running backs, and you can bet Jerry Jones will be intrigued with the idea of bringing in the son of Emmitt.
Texas A&M expert’s thoughts on EJ Smith IV
For more insight on Smith IV’s career, I reached out to A to Z Sports’ Texas A&M expert AJ Schulte for his thoughts.
Schulte: “EJ Smith IV didn’t have perhaps the biggest impact he was hoping for when he transferred to Texas A&M, with just 205 yards on the season in 2025 and just 412 overall in his Aggies’ career, but he was a reliable contributor when the Aggies called on him this season.
He was third in the rotation behind Rueben Owens II and Le’Veon Moss, but he finished second on the team in missed tackles forced and explosive runs, making him a solid contributor. A&M was comfortable with him as a pass protector as well, giving him decent third-down ability as well. I don’t expect him to have much of an NFL Draft stock, but Dallas has had some luck in the UDFA department with players like Malik Davis and Rico Dowdle, and Smith could be another solid contributor in that pipeline.”
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