Blue-collar work ethic gives rookie RBs advantage as Cowboys develop run game

The Dallas Cowboys surprised some people with the way they handled the running back position in the 2025 NFL draft. Despite having a clear need at the top of the depth chart, the Cowboys showed restraint, waiting until the later rounds to address one of their offense’s biggest needs. The delay was frowned upon by some, hailed by others.

Regardless of which side of the debate one falls, the importance of hitting on these RB draft picks is something no one denies. The Cowboys don’t necessarily need a starter to arise from the rookie duo, but they do need at least one committee member to manifest from the draft. Late-round rookies don’t always have the best success rate, and this is a position Dallas can’t afford to miss given the somewhat uninspiring veterans in the RB room.

Jaydon Blue, drafted in the fifth round, and Phil Mafah, picked up in the seventh, weren’t the cream of crop in the latest draft class. They weren’t sliding superstars nor were they mind-blowing steals. They were two vastly different college prospects who were generally selected where they were supposed to be selected: on Day 3.

Transitioning to the NFL is no simple task. Even in a translatable position like RB, the bust rate for rookies is rather significant and it’s a significance that grows each round the draft progresses. With three picks in the first three rounds, the Cowboys could have picked a blue-chip prospect if they wanted to. Only Ashton Jeanty was off the board when they picked in the first round and only Omarion Hampton, Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson were selected before Dallas picked in the second round. Yet the Cowboys waited, increasing the odds their eventual selection will bust and risking the fate of the 2025 season in the process.

From an individual scouting perspective there’s many reasons to be both excited and concerned about the Cowboys’ two rookie RBs, but from a transition perspective there are reasons for confidence. Blue, hailing from Texas, and Mafah, coming in from Clemson, played for big programs with wide acclaim but were without the giftwrapped opportunities that many of their draft peers enjoyed.

While players like Judkins and Henderson worked behind dominant offensive lines and wide-open holes, things weren’t so easy for Blue and Mafah. Run blocking grades for Blue floated just around average with Blue individually doing much of the heavy lifting. Mafah, to an even greater extent, had to carry the weight, with the bulk of his run blocking falling on the wrong side of the PFF Mendoza Line.

Team run blocking quality throughout college from the RB draft class pic.twitter.com/FPuOQhKnHT— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights) May 9, 2025

The Cowboys’ run blocking is expected to improve significantly this season with better days on the horizon. Such is the nature of a young and pedigreed offensive line. But expecting instant dominance by the front five in Dallas is probably farfetched. As such, it's important the Cowboys employ a RB room with a blue-collar work ethic. Things aren't always going to be easy running in 2025.

Blue is going to have to carry his own weight and possibly even make up for other player's shortcomings along the way. Mafah doesn’t have the game breaking speed Blue has so he’s going to have to do what he does best and run with patience and determination if he wants to be a consistent producer.

Both rookies have their fair share of experience running behind less-than-optimal run blocking. The Texas offensive line was certainly nothing to scoff at, but they didn’t roll out the red carpet for their rushers like programs such as Ohio State and Iowa often did for their rushers. It’s their experience succeeding in non-perfect situations that should soften the impact of the NFL for them and make the transition a little less startling than many of the top selections face.

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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys’ rookie RBs have one big advantage transitioning to NFL