It’s a time of significant change at the running back position in Dallas. Last year’s starter and backup are gone, two rookies were just drafted, and two veterans were signed in free agency. Some already have more job security than others, but competition will abound throughout the Cowboys’ depth chart between now and final cuts.
Rico Dowdle joined the Panthers as a free agent last March and Ezekiel Elliott remains unsurprisingly unemployed. They accounted for 92% of the snaps for pure running backs last year (not counting Hunter Luepke’s), meaning we’re in for an almost complete renovation of the RB room.
Rather than go after one big name with a clear path to the starting job and a workhorse role, Dallas has found multiple options. They signed veteran free agents Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, both with ample starting experience, and then used Day 3 picks on rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah. At least one of these four won’t have a chair when the music stops, and perhaps more depending on a couple of holdovers from last season.
Hunter Luepke will likely make the roster as a fullback. Just recently, head coach Brian Schottenheimer praised him for his versatility on offense and special teams. The bigger question is if Luepke’s ball-carrying skills are enough that Dallas might make him their third RB and save a roster spot for another position. Obviously, that makes things tighter for the other candidates.
One guy hoping he's not forgotten in this conversation is Deuce Vaughn. Entering his third year since being a sixth-round pick, Vaughn has had minimal snaps during the regular season. Now with Blue’s arrival as a speedster and receiving option, it feels like Vaughn’s chances have gone from slim to none. With WR KaVontae Turpin also offering some flexibility out of the backfield, whatever niche or utility role Vaughn may have had on offense seems filled.
At this point, the only guy who feels like a roster lock is Jaydon Blue. While that’s not something you often say for fifth-round picks, Blue was generally considered a steal there thanks to a very deep RB class in 2025. He’s not an every-down back at his size, so it’s quite possible he won’t be the starter. But at the least, he seems poised to have the old Tony Pollard role as the change-up option and should get plenty of opportunities both running and receiving.
If he’s fully recovered from a major 2022 knee injury, Javonte Williams will also be tough to beat. He was the 35th-overall pick in the 2021 draft by Denver and had a big rookie season, but since the injury has struggled to get back to that form. While they hedged their bet with the Blue and Mafah picks in the draft, the Cowboys are hoping for a steal with this one-year reclamation attempt. Williams would be their most well-rounded back and likely starter if he has a good camp.
After Williams and Blue, that's where you really get into the roster bubble. Again, there may not even be a third spot if Dallas chooses to lean into Luepke’s versatility. But if there is, it probably comes down to Mafah or Sanders for the last reserve role.
Sanders has always felt like an insurance option since Dallas signed him. After his [Pro Bowl](http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-pro-bowl) 2022 season in Philadelphia, he has had two quiet years with the Panthers where he fell behind Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart and barely got any carries in 2024. For a team that was hurting at RB, Sanders wasn’t helping. It’s hard to see a sudden resurgence in Dallas, especially given his younger competition. But given his experience edge over the field, you can’t rule him out.
Mafah presents Dallas with a pure power, bowling ball option. While Williams has a power game himself, the Cowboys may want to limit how often they ask him to take those grueling carries. If Dallas’ run blocking is improved enough to create some steady lanes, Mafah can run over second-level tacklers. He may be the best complement in terms of a rotation piece. His biggest competition may be Luepke for those short-yardage situations.
With so many changes on the offensive coaching staff, it’s hard to make any big predictions about this running back position. New coaches mean new philosophies and preferences. Some bets, like Jaydon Blue and Javonte Williams, are certainly safer than others. But from top to bottom, this whole group is headed into one of the summer’s most intriguing roster battles.