How OTAs Changed Dallas Cowboys' Running Back Depth Chart Ahead of Mandatory Minicamp

Malik Davis is viewed as the favorite for the Cowboys' RB2 job, but OTAs showed Phil Mafah and Jaydon Blue are going to give him a run for his money.

Dallas Cowboys running back Phil Mafah. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The running back position features one of the many position battles we'll see for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason.

The Cowboys have their starter locked-in with Javonte Williams, but Dallas doesn't have a solidified RB2. The three players battling for that spot are Malik Davis, Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah.

Davis, who flashed near the end of last season when Williams was hurt, was the best of the trio after he notched 4.8 yards per carry on 52 attempts.

Meanwhile, Blue was inactive for all but five games and toted the rock just 38 times after he failed to earn the trust of the coaching staff. Blue has admitted maturity was an issue.

"I didn't start off like I should've," Blue said. "Whether it was not practicing the right way, or on a maturity level, I think I wasn't really there. But, now, learning from all the vets and having the offseason that I've had, I think I'm ready to go.

As for Mafah, he entered the offseason as an even bigger wild card than Blue after he appeared in just game during his rookie campaign.

Davis was viewed as the clear favorite for the job entering the offseason, but this competition looks like it's going to be a lot tighter than initially anticipated after what we saw at OTAs.

A hotly contested competition

Dallas Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue (23) rushes during the second quarter against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Mafah and Blue were regularly highlighted as standouts over the two weeks of OTAs and it's clear both are primed to offer serious competition for Davis.

During the team's first open practice of OTAs, Mafah and Blue both shined, with the pair scoring one touchdown each. In addition to that, the word in the Cowboys' building was that the second-year backs are showing significant progress from last season.

"Phil Mafah looked good with his first-team reps, grabbing a touchdown in red zone work, as did Jaydon Blue," Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. "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."

"Blue has also been praised, with another source saying he’s more 'locked in' right now on the details than he ever was in his rookie season," Harris added.

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer also noted the "night and day" difference he has seen in Blue ahead of his second year.

"He's going to be a huge part of what we want to do," Schotty said of Blue. "But he's got to continue doing his part, which he's doing right now."

While we would still consider Davis the favorite because of his advantage in experience over Mafah and Blue, it's quite clear the veteran isn't going to run away with the RB2 job as the sophomore backs continue to surge ahead of mandatory minicamp next week.