FRISCO, Texas — Another facelift is occurring in the running backs room in Dallas, as the Cowboys seek to finally answer the question of who, rather singular or plural, will be the face of the position going forward; and their hope is they'll begin getting clarity on the situation as soon as Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah begin taking the field in this year's rookie minicamp.
Selected in the 2025 NFL Draft in the fifth and seventh round, respectively, they add an intriguing complement to each other both as first-year players whose talents work in tandem with each other; but also to a room that also added Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders in free agency.
"I always dreamed of having an opportunity to play at the biggest stage, for my home state, for so long, man," said Blue, a Houston native who made his way to America's Team by way of the University of Texas and who now dons the white and ... ahem ... blue. "It's a blessing. It's something I don't take for granted."
For Blue, a sub-4.3 second sprinter in the 40-yard dash — one who racked up 1,631 yards from scrimmage and 18 total touchdowns on 6.4 yards per touch since 2023 — will be readily leaned upon as the home run hitter in the Cowboys' backfield, and the name of his game is to showcase that ability from the outset, but to also demonstrate value and ability in other ways as well.
Those ways are co-signed by former Cowboys' running back and Blue's former running backs coach at Texas, Tashard Choice, and ones he will himself readily admit make him a high-ceiling prospect entering the NFL.
"I'll say the versatility [is my biggest attribute] — the home run hitter," he said after reporting to rookie minicamp on Thursday. "[I'm] the guy that can take it to the house at any moment [on a] pass play, a run, or anything like that, man. I'm just willing to do whatever to help the team get to that level."
It's a sentiment echoed loudly by Mafah, though in a different way, considering the former Clemson bully is the more physical, downhill runner accustomed to doing the heavy lifting in an offense — to the tune of nearly 2,100 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns for the Tigers over the past two seasons.
That said, he can catch the ball out of the backfield, on occasion, much as Blue can get his hands dirty a time or two in the A and B gaps and in short yardage.
"To me, I feel like I can do a bit of both," said Mafah of his skill set. "Just being a bigger guy, I feel like I am really light on my feet. I can make defenders miss. I feel like defenses don't really expect that. I like to change it up, to keep them guessing.
"I'd just like to be versatile and just ready to be used any way my team needs me to be, just want to add value, really."
One thing is also true for both: they're walking into an organization that doesn't lack for legacy at running back, because from Tony Dorsett to Emmitt Smith to, most recently, Ezekiel Elliott in his first stretch with the club, the Cowboys are a club that is synonymous with some of the best running backs to ever step onto a football field.
And those are the shoes they'll be stepping into, beginning in their first-ever minicamp.
"It's a privilege, just to be a part of and have the opportunity to be a part of this organization, especially great names like those," said Mafah. "It just tells me that I'm here for a purpose, and it just allows me to set a vision on what I want my career to look like. It's definitely a dream come true, and picking up those games is definitely motivation to want to have my name up there, too."
The first step toward potentially achieving that goal arrives in precisely 24 hours from now.
