Tony Pollard is a running back for the Dallas Cowboys. A 2-star recruit as a wide receiver and cornerback out of Melrose High School in Memphis, TN, Pollard accepted one of his two scholarship offers - from his hometown University of Memphis. After a redshirt 2015 season, Tony Pollard spent time at both receiver and running back, buried deep in a loaded Tigers backfield depth chart behind Patrick Taylor and Darrell Henderson. On the American Athletic Conference’s most pass-heavy team, Pollard assumed the primary receiving back role. Despite a gaudy 7.1 (93rd-percentile) career yards per carry, he never ranked higher than third in carries and left school with modest college stats - 139 rushing attempts and nearly as many receptions.
Pollard declared early for the 2019 NFL draft and posted an above-average 40-time, Speed Score, Burst Score and Agility Score. Those athleticism metrics coupled with outstanding college rushing efficiency and a 15.5-percent (95th-percentile) college Target Share made Pollard an attractive prospect. The Dallas Cowboys selected him in the 4th round of 2019 NFL Draft.
Just before Pollard’s rookie season, Dallas signed starter Ezekiel Elliott to a massive contract extension. That ensured Pollard would play second fiddle to Elliott for the foreseeable future. Pollard has a slight build – a 28.5 (17th-percentile) BMI - and was planted behind the larger Elliott on the depth chart. Pollard saw a sub-20-percent rookie snap share. He flashed when given an opportunity, though, posting 1.91 (No. 1) Yards Created Per Touch and a 5.8-percent (No. 9) Breakaway Run Rate. For comparison, Elliott came in at No. 44 and No. 52, respectively, in those metrics. Pollard’s Snap Share increased in 2020, but remained only 31.5-percent (No. 62). His year-two performance wasn’t as efficient as 2019, but he continued to be far more efficient than Elliott.
Pollard's continued to be underutilized in 2021, recording just a 33.7-percent (No. 60) Snap Share. One of the league’s most electric players, Pollard posted top-10 RB efficiency metrics across the board. His 8.5-percent Breakaway Run Rate ranked No. 3 among running backs. His Yards Created Per Touch was No. 9 and he ranked No. 5 in Next Gen Stats’ Rushing Yards Over Expected per Attempt. Though Pollard held only a modest 8.1-percent Target Share in 2021, he excelled when given a chance through the air, finishing No. 2 in Yards per Route Run. He also finished No. 16 among RBs in receiving yards despite being No. 46 in Routes Run and No. 60 in Route Participation. He finished the season as the No. 32 back with 10.8 fantasy points per game.
After another efficient 2022 season, Pollard was granted RB1 status in Dallas. He had his first career 1,000-yard rushing season and scored 12 total touchdowns in 2022. Averaging 5.9 Yards Per Touch, Pollard was an imposing threat both as runner and receiver. The Cowboys decided to use the franchise tag on Pollard, and let Elliott walk in free agency. Entering his age-26 season in 2023, Pollard is set to finally be Dallas’ lead back in a contract year.
