FRISCO, Texas — Self-awareness is key, and especially for Jaydon Blue as he works to unlock greatness at the NFL level. The former Longhorn's rookie year wasn't what he thought it'd be after the Dallas Cowboys drafted him out of Texas in the fifth round in 2025, but his disappointments were mostly delivered by his own hand.
Blue struggled to remain consistent in how he practiced, and head coach Brian Schottenheimer made it clear on multiple occasions that the 22-year-old would not be gifted game reps — he'd have to earn them by living in his playbook and practicing to the standard.
One year later, a more mature and aware Blue spoke during OTAs about his mindset going into Year 2, and the lessons he learned from Year 1 that fuel it.
"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.
"… I wanna make sure that this year, and in upcoming years, that it's not a problem for me."
Blue was ruled inactive on multiple occasions by Schottenheimer and the Cowboys last season, a tough pill to swallow for a young man who proved himself to be such a home-run hitter in Austin.
He'd finally convinced the team he was ready as the season came to a close, getting the nod when the Cowboys visited the New York Giants in the regular season finale. Blue was a man possessed every time he touched the ball at MetLife Stadium, also earning his first-ever NFL touchdown while averaging four yards per carry, an explosive 27-yard run also giving hint at what's in store for the future.
That is, of course, if Blue can stay the course. Just ahead of his second NFL minicamp, he says he can.
"I'm a completely different person than I was this time last year." he said. "… I think I made a whole 180 from where I was last year. I've gotten a lot better. … I'm ready to go."
It's a very different tone to the RB depth chart than this time last year.
The Cowboys are no longer looking to try a RB-by-committee approach after Javonte Williams' breakout season that earned him a multi-year contract extension in 2026. Williams is now the definitive RB1, but the battle for RB2 is as open as a barn door after an afternoon storm in Texas.
Blue is competing with five others, including 2026 draftmate Phil Mafah, for a shot at landing the role, but he spoke about how he sees the game on the field now, as much as he does off of it.
"The game has slowed down completely for me," Blue said. "… [I'm] in the playbook every chance I get. I'm learning from Dak and some of the older guys on this offense do those things. Other than that, I give [running backs coach Derrick Foster] a lot of credit for staying on me, and for checking in to make sure I'm doing the right things because, like coach Schotty said, they're expecting me to be a big part of this offense this year."
That is indeed the expectation of Blue and, once again, all the Cowboys need to see if he's ready. As it stands, it sounds as if he's as hungry to show them as they are to see it, and the table is set for him to potentially eat hearty in Year 2.
