The Dallas Cowboys answered the biggest running back question of the offseason. Javonte Williams is not going anywhere and after a career year in 2025. Williams got a three-year, $24 million deal with $16 million guaranteed, effectively making him the centerpiece of the backfield for the next phase of the offense. But that doesn’t mean the running back room is settled.
In fact, the more interesting question may be what happens behind Williams. Dallas has a clear RB1, but RB2 is still up for grabs. That battle could shape how Brian Schottenheimer manages Williams’ workload, how much explosiveness the Cowboys can manufacture on early downs, and whether the team feels compelled to add another veteran before training camp becomes serious.
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Right now, the top internal candidates are Malik Davis, Jaydon Blue, and Phil Mafah. The current depth chart lists Williams first, Davis second, Blue third, and Mafah fourth, which makes sense from a conservative offseason standpoint. Davis is the experienced, steadier option, Blue is the upside play, and Mafah is the bigger-bodied changeup who brings a different profile to the room.
The Cowboys’ own recent production also gives Davis a real case. He finished 2025 with 52 carries for 250 yards and two touchdowns, good for 4.8 yards per carry. That is not a massive sample, but it is enough to show he can function in the offense when called upon.
Davis’ argument is simple, trust. Coaches like backs who know where to be, can handle protection rules, do not put the ball on the ground, and keep the offense on schedule. Davis is not the most explosive player in the group, but he has been around the building, has produced when given touches, and gives Dallas a cleaner floor if Williams needs a breather for a series. The problem for Davis is that RB2 should not just be about survival. The Cowboys need someone who can alter the offense.
That is where Jaydon Blue becomes the most intriguing candidate. Blue’s rookie season was quiet statistically, with 38 carries for 129 yards and one touchdown. He was drafted to bring a burst element that Davis and Mafah do not quite match. That matters because Williams is already the physical, tone-setting back. He can handle volume, grind through contact, and serve as the identity back for the offense. Dallas does not need RB2 to be a lesser version of Williams. It needs a complement. It needs someone who can threaten the edge, win in space, and turn a well-blocked six-yard run into something more painful for a defense. Blue is the best candidate to do that.
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But the counterargument here is Blue hasn’t earned anything yet. His rookie year did not scream future starter, and if the Cowboys are serious about contending, they cannot hand the backup job to a player purely because of traits. RB2 has to be able to pass protect for Dak Prescott. RB2 has to be able to run inside when the defense knows the ball is coming. RB2 has to be able to contribute on special teams if the game-day numbers require it, they certainly don’t want to coughing up the ball or running with any hesitation.
Davis may not have Blue’s ceiling, but he has the cleanest path to being active on game day if the coaching staff prioritizes assignment sound football over explosiveness. He is the kind of back teams talk themselves into because he rarely makes the offense look disorganized. If Blue has a shaky camp, Davis could absolutely open the season as the functional RB2, even if Blue remains the more exciting long-term option.
Then there is Mafah, who might be the most interesting roster construction piece of the group. Mafah barely got a chance to show anything as a rookie, finishing 2025 with five carries for 18 yards and a touchdown after missing most of the year on injured reserve with a shoulder injury before making his NFL debut in the season finale.
Mafah’s case is not really about being the every-down backup. It is about giving Dallas a different tool. At 6-foot and over 230 pounds, he brings size that Blue and Davis do not. The depth chart behind Williams is wide open this year and Mafah may be the better roster complement because of his power-back profile.
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That is why the RB2 label might become misleading. The Cowboys could easily end up with Blue as the primary change-of-pace back, Mafah as the short-yardage or four-minute option, and Davis battling for a final roster spot or practice-squad role depending on special teams value. The outside variable though is whether Dallas adds another veteran. Unless the price is extremely team-friendly, Dallas should resist the temptation to do that. Williams is already the paid veteran. The backup job should be where the Cowboys chase cheap upside, not where they spend more money to create a crowded room of overlapping skill sets.
The likely winner of the Cowboys’ RB2 battle is Jaydon Blue, but not by default. He has to prove he can handle the less glamorous parts of the job. If he is still loose in protection, inconsistent between the tackles, or not trusted on passing downs, Davis can steal the early-season role. But if Blue is merely adequate in those areas, his athletic profile should separate him.
The most realistic Week 1 projection is Williams as RB1, Blue as RB2, Mafah as the power RB3, Hunter Luepke maintaining his hybrid fullback role, and Davis landing back on the practice squad.
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What order do you have the backup running backs in, and who ends up getting cut or sent to the practice squad?
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