One thing is clear coming out of the 2025 Dallas Cowboys rookie class: the running back battle is on.
Dallas struggled through this past season at the position after failing to draft a running back in the 2024 class. Deuce Vaughn was a non-factor, the Ezekiel Elliott reunion fell flat, and while Rico Dowdle showed real promise, the Cowboys never seemed all-in on him.
Now, the team is heading into the summer with a completely revamped backfield.
Two free agent signings, two draftees, and Vaughn will arrive in camp for a true battle. This coaching staff won’t play favorites with such a new group: whoever balls out will get the starting jobs.
Cowboys fans are holding out hope for two young, fresh faces to use their contrasting skills as a duo in 2025, and that wish may just come true.
The Potential Duo: Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah
One week ago today, the Cowboys ran to the podium to secure an absolute firework in the fifth round. Two rounds later, they double-dipped at the position to bring in the exact opposite of that guy.
Jaydon Blue, a speedster from Texas, was Dallas’ first choice at running back, and Phil Mafah, a big, strong runner from Clemson, became their second.
https://twitter.com/VoiceOfTheStar/status/1916922079829426203The two could not be further apart in their skill sets, but that’s what could make them a special rookie duo.
Blue, a 5’9, sub-200 lbs guy with legit 4.2 speed, can bring the boom with explosive runs or vertical receptions, while Mafah can flat out bulldoze you with his 235 lb frame. That kind of contrast in playing style is what this offense needs.
Letting Blue and Mafah share the starting job would be looked at as a risk by some in the football world. They are both day-three draft picks after all.
If we look at skill alone, however, they can both handle it, and Blue’s pass-catching ability stands out especially.
https://twitter.com/Brandoniswrite/status/1918069562974613623He reeled in 56 passes over the last two seasons at Texas, which is a crazy number for a guy with the potential to be a dominant runner as well. Mafah has a similar trait when it comes to goal-line scoring.
The Clemson product has rushed for 21 touchdowns over the last two seasons. In short, he can get you into the end zone. These two guys, if given the chance, have a lot of immediate impact skills to bring to the field, as well as sky-high potential.
The Competition: Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders
What stands in the way of Blue and Mafah? Two veterans who, in all likelihood, have seen their best days in the NFL.
Before the Cowboys rookie class included two running backs, the front office signed a pair in free agency, with Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders both heading to Dallas on one-year deals.
https://twitter.com/brgridiron/status/1902045765926600933To say those two moves didn’t excite the fanbase would be an understatement, but there is a real world where those two lead the Dallas backfield in 2025.
Williams, 25, is younger than most running backs who “fall off,” as his regression is largely due to a 2022 ACL tear that he seemingly never got back from. He has never beaten his 2021 rookie season numbers.
Sanders, on the other hand, has a more traditional end-of-career running backstory. He just turned 28, which is a rough age at the position, and he’s tailed off statistically in back-to-back years.
He had a huge season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, which led to a big contract from the Panthers. If you combine the numbers from his two seasons in Charlotte, they don’t even get close to his last season in Philadelphia.
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1899497651294364084None of this sounds promising, and I don’t mean to go hard on these two guys, but the surrounding facts are simple: both show significant signs of being at the end.
Dallas may feel more “comfortable” with experienced legs running the ball over two late-round additions, but as we saw with Elliott, that philosophy does not always work out.