If we are getting into a debate over the last time the Dallas Cowboys had a truly dominant, game changing running back, we have to look back almost a decade, to Ezekiel Elliott’s rookie season in 2016.
That was the year that current quarterback Dak Prescott was also a rookie and in his first year as a starter in place of an injured Tony Romo, but it was Elliott who carred the Cowboys that season with 1,631 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns on the way to 1,954 yards of total offense.
Elliott was so good as a rookie he was named first team NFL All-Pro that year — the first of 2 NFL All-Pro selections in his first 3 seasons.
The Cowboys might need another rookie to save their offense in 2025 with fifth round pick (No. 149 overall) Jaydon Blue, who ESPN’s Mike Clay called the “Wild Card” in the Dallas offense in 2025.
Blue scored 18 touchdowns in 3 seasons at Texas — 11 rushing and 7 receiving.
“Blue will begin his career behind newly acquired veterans Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, but neither have played well in recent seasons, so this depth chart is wide open,” Clay wrote on May 16. “The lead back role in Dallas is there for the taking.”
SO NICE THEY HAD TO DO IT TWICE 🤘
Quinn Ewers finds Jaydon Blue for six on the exact same route as their first touchdown 🤝
Blue Could Become Starter Sooner Than Later
Dallas lost last season’s leading rusher, Rico Dowdle, to the Carolina Panthers in free agency. The Cowboys signed their own free agent running back in Javonte Williams on a 1-year, $3 million contract, but he’s not someone an offense can or should build a running game around after he averaged under 4.0 yards per carry for the Denver Broncos in 2024.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter put Blue at No. 1 on his list of Day 3 picks who could compete for starter snaps in 2025.
Dallas stumbled to a 7-10 record in 2024 after consecutive 12-5 seasons in 2022 and 2023.
“The Cowboys might begin the year with starting reps going to veteran back Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, but Blue should have a chance to be the guy for the Blue-and-Silver by midseason,” Reuter wrote on May 5. “The Texas product’s home run-hitting ability as a runner and receiver makes it imperative that he’s on the field.”
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder put Blue at the top of his list of “Sleeper” running backs who could start for their teams as rookies.
Best NFL Rookie RB in 2024 Was Fourth Round Pick
Blue ran the 40-yard dash in a blazing, 4.38 seconds at the NFL scouting combine in February, but at 5-foot-9 and 196 pounds he might be viewed as a tad light to hold up against NFL defenses.
Both NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein and Bleacher Report both projected Blue as a third round pick after his breakout season in 2024, when he had a career high 1,098 yards from scrimmage and scored 14 touchdowns as the Longhorns advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
There’s a template in place for Blue to succeed from last season, when the NFL’s best rookie running back was Tampa Bay’s Bucky Irving, a 5-foot-10, 196-pound fourth round pick (No. 125 overall) who rushed for 1,122 yards despite not becoming the starter until late in the season.
