Dallas Cowboys OTA Breakout That is Too Good to Be True

The Dallas Cowboys had several players stand out during OTAs, with one in particular breakout candidate seeming too good to be true.

Dallas Cowboys RB Phil Mafah celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

With OTAs wrapped up, the Dallas Cowboys are one step closer to the regular season. They're going to enter the 2026 campaign ready to erase the memory of a frustrating 7-9-1 season, which was their first under head coach Brian Schottenheimer.

There was plenty about their first year with Coach Schotty that needed to be addressed this offseason, which was primarily on the defensive side of the ball. Offensively, things were great as the Cowboys were second overall in yardage and seventh in points scored.

As good as they were at moving the ball, however, the Cowboys would have liked to punch the ball into the end zone more often. They finished 16th in red zone touchdown percentage, getting the ball into the end zone 56.92 percent of the time. Settling for field goals was detrimental to a team with such a porous defense, but even if they slow down opposing teams, Schottenheimer is still going to expect better results in the red zone.

That's why the performance of second-year running back Phil Mafah during OTAs is so encouraging.

Phil Mafah could be the key to unlocking the red zone

Dallas Cowboys running back Phil Mafah rushes during the fourth quarter against the New York Giants. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Javonte Williams was a stud for the Cowboys in 2025, recording career highs in every major statistical category. The problem was that Dallas had hardly anyone who could move the chains if he wasn't on the field.

Williams was able to carry the load, but he was banged up by the end of the season. That's why it's been encouraging to see not only Mafah, but also Jaydon Blue earn praise for their growth this year. Mafah was even getting first-team reps, with Nick Harris of Fort Worth Star-Telegram saying Mafah was "night and day" from his rookie campaign.

"Phil Mafah looked good with his first-team reps, grabbing a touchdown in red zone work, as did Jaydon Blue," Harris wrote. "Mafah has specifically drawn a lot of praise for his work this offseason, with one source saying he is 'night-and-day' different from last year."

What really makes Mafah's emergence feel too good to be true is how much he could help Williams stay fresh while giving the Cowboys more power in the red zone. Mafah is a powerful back at 6-foot-0 and 234 pounds. He's someone who can punish a defense, and would be ideal to pick up first-downs on short-yardage situations, while also giving them another goal-line option.

We need to see him continue to rise to the challenge throughout minicamp and the preseason, but Mafah is off to an excellent start.

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