The Case for Malik Davis as the Cowboys RB2

Malik Davis is the kind of player folks can overlook, myself included, but if you’re only looking at the second-year player Jaydon Blue or running backs not on the roster, he’s easy to overlook.

He’s not a rookie with fresh draft buzz, or a big-name veteran addition. He’s for sure not a running back Cowboys fans are throwing into fantasy football debates, but when you look at the running back room he’s a name you might keep coming back to.

Around this time of the year, everybody wants to talk about the upside. Jaydon Blue brings speed, Phil Mafah brings the size, and Javonte Williams brings the power and lead back resume. Those are the names that pull the spotlight.

Then there’s Malik Davis, sitting there like a dirty pair of workboats by the back door. Maybe not new or fancy, but reliable enough that you think twice before tossing them aside.

Ball Security Gives Malik Davis a Real Case

The first number I noticed was the one coaches care about before anything else.

Zero fumbles.

Malik Davis has 90 carries for 411 yards, averaging 4.6 yards, three touchdowns, and no fumbles. That’s not a small detail, but the kind of thing that keeps a player in the trust circle.

A depth running back doesn’t have to be a superstar, the fastest man in the building, or make the crowd gasp every time he touches the ball. But he better not put that football on the ground. Davis hasn’t done that.

That gives him a pretty sturdy foundation. Before we even get into special teams, yards after contact, or his role in the passing game, Malik Davis has shown he can handle the ball. For a team that has to squeeze every ounce of value out of the back end of the roster, that matters.

Malik Davis Runs Through Contact Better Than People Realize

The 2025 numbers continue to build a great case for Malik Davis.

He had 52 carries, averaged 4.8 yards per carry, and scored two rushing touchdowns. He also posted 171 yards after contact, which comes out to 3.29 yards after contact.

That tells me he is not jogging through wide-open lanes. He’s creating extra yards.

Davis also forced six missed tackles, had a run of 43 yards, and picked up 11 first downs. For a player that is often treated as an afterthought, that is a pretty strong little resume.

Malik Davis may not have an elite skillet, but he has enough balance, toughness, and vision to make ordinary runs useful. Sometimes that is all a coaching staff wants from a reserve. Get downhill, protect the ball, fall forward, and don’t turn a clean play into a mess.

Special Teams Might Be the Difference

This is where I think Malik Davis separates himself from most backup running backs.

He played 147 special teams snaps and finished with a 71.9 special teams grade. That’s big time roster value.

Malik Davis had five tackles, two assists, zero missed tackles, and only one penalty.

This may be part of the conversation some writers could skip over, but NFL teams do not. If he ends up being the third or fourth back, he cannot wait around for offensive touches. He has to bring special teams value.

A player like Davis can win the job with stats that don’t show up in a rushing box score.

The Passing Game Is Useful, Not the Selling Point

Malik Davis has some receiving value, but I won’t oversell it.

For his career, he has 11 targets, eight catches, and 79 receiving yards. That’s a 72.7% catch rate and 9.9 yards per catch.

Solid stats, but low numbers.

His 2025 numbers were nothing to shout about. He had five targets, two catches, 16 yards, and a drop.

So, Malik Davis can catch the ball. I just wouldn’t build a whole argument around his receiving prowess, right now.

The bigger concern for me is the pass protection.

In 2025, Davis had 37 pass-blocking snaps and allowed five pressures with two sacks. His pass blocking grade was 50.0.

That’s a red flag for a big-time passing offense.

If Dallas is looking for a true third-down back who can consistently pick up blitzers and be a matchup option in the passing game, Malik Davis still has to prove more in that area. His pass protection is not good enough to be the main reason he makes the roster.

Roster battles are about trade-offs.

Malik Davis gives you a dependable rusher, ball security, and special teams value. The pass protection keeps him from being a complete back, but it does not erase the rest of his case.