Which Cowboys rookie running back will emerge down the stretch?

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The 2025 NFL season is over halfway through in Dallas, and one of the few bright spots has been the emergence of Javonte Williams. There is only one problem, however: at least one Cowboys rookie running back needs to shine soon.

Williams, while only 25 years old, has matched his 2024 total carries in half as many games, and he is set to blow past his career high of 217 attempts.

If the Cowboys are going to keep this season competitive, their run game must remain strong while also keeping Williams from burning out down the stretch.

This is where the RB2 competition emerges as one of the top storylines in Dallas: either Jaydon Blue or Phil Mafah needs to cement themselves firmly behind Williams on the depth chart while proving reliable and trustworthy in big moments.

The Case For Jaydon Blue: Dallas Will Reap the Benefit of More Reps

Blue, a former Texas Longhorn standout and fifth-round pick in April, clearly needs more reps if he is going to get comfortable in his rookie campaign.

His speed and explosiveness are real NFL-level weapons, but he just does not seem either healthy or confident in his running quite yet. The only way to get there is by giving him the rock and letting him grow.

Hayden Winks

@HaydenWinks

Jaydon Blue healthy scratch for RBs I didn’t even know were on the roster.

5:49 PM · Nov 3, 2025

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There are real concerns around ball security with him, but that may be a trade-off Dallas should get comfortable with if they get the good side of his skills as well.

If Jaydon Blue can’t get on track before this season ends, you will see a lot of pessimism around his future in Dallas in 2026. The flip side would be him becoming the clear RB2 with a cemented place with the Cowboys going forward.

The Case For Phil Mafah: Physical-Runner Substitutes For Williams Well

The underdog in this has always been Mafah, the former Clemson Tiger and seventh-round pick earlier this year.

After a strong preseason, he landed on IR with a shoulder injury and has been essentially invisible since that time. As the second half of this season arrives, however, it’s fair to say we may see him ramp up soon.

Mafah is a bruising, goal-line threat; the kind of running back that could replicate Williams well if given the chance. As we saw before his IR stint, the kid has legitimate strength and a hard-running style.

Williams’ workload is huge, Malik Davis has been waived, and there are real concerns around Blue. This Cowboys rookie could be the biggest benefactor of all three of those problems.

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Mark Heaney

Mark Heaney is an NFL scout and sports journalist who has covered college football and the NFL since 2018. He has professionally evaluated over 1,000 NFL Draft prospects. At InsideTheStar.com, Mark has published 319 articles on ITS reaching over 1.1 million readers. His work has also appeared on FanSided, Whole Nine Sports, and Downtown Sports Network. Mark studied at UNC Charlotte and served as a media intern for the Charlotte 49ers football program.

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3 Comments

Bardolf 6 months ago

I have had my doubts about J. Blue since the beginning. Falling to the 5th round raised concerns with me. What did other NFL scouts think about Blue at the time. The fact he didn't start while a Longhorn is another question that needs to be answered. Rumors persisted he didn't have a good work ethic at UT and carried it on at summer camp with a bad rap he was a malingerer. I never thought he should be RB because of his slight build. I would have converted him to a slot receiver instead to take advantage of his speed. Today's RB's are much bigger now on each NFL roster. Javonte Williams is the standard size of a prototype RB. Phil Mafah is Williams size if not bigger should be the backup now. Keeping him hidden on IR is ridiculous since we all know his alleged shoulder problem is long healed by now. Blue should be packaged with Tolbert and traded for draft picks.
Edward Carmichael 6 months ago

a Dallas Cowboys fan, since the 70's I don't know who starts at running back for the Cowboys
Cowboys fan 6 months ago

Blue needs to get more reps!! Every time they put him in a game he runs a few plays and then he's inactive the next game!! He'll never get going if he's going through the season that way!! And if the coaches don't trust him then they need to put him on IR and bring Mafah back and give him a shot!! Mafah is pretty much the same kind of runner as Williams is, but it'll be better to have some kind of backup than none at all!! So if Blue isn't good enough for the coaches then they need to make the switch!! I'm confident Mafah can be good help, he's already proved himself!! But Blue was hurt through most of camp and preseason and didn't get as many opportunities, so the coaches need to give him those opportunities now, or just put the guy in that's already proved himself!! And it's been 10 weeks, so I think they just stashed Mafah on IR so we wouldn't lose him, so I think he's good to go, so if they're not gonna use Blue then they need to put him on IR and bring Mafah back!! But I don't think that's gonna happen!! I think they'll keep him on IR all season!! But who knows, I could be wrong!! I guess we'll just have to wait and see!!