3 most important Dallas Cowboys who aren’t starters

1. Tony Pollard, RB

Ezekiel Elliott is the big name in the Cowboys backfield and he’s slated to start once again in 2022, but he’s not the only one who will be a factor. Tony Pollard has steadily been getting more snaps under McCarthy, and he’s made the most of them.

In 2021, Pollard had 719 yards on the ground while averaging 5.5 yards per rush. He added another 337 yards on 39 receptions, giving him 1,056 total yards from scrimmage.

As good as Pollard has been, he still doesn’t get the credit he deserves. The former fourth-round pick from Memphis is often labeled the “speedy” back to complement Zeke but he’s actually very well-rounded. Since being selected in 2019, he’s been one of the hardest running backs in the NFL to tackle, forcing 0.25 missed tackles per rush while gaining 4.2 yards after contact per attempt.

Simply put, Pollard is legitimately one of the better backs in the entire NFL and could be starting on a least a dozen teams in the league. For Dallas, they actually have to try and figure out a way to get him the ball more, which is why he was working at wide receiver during OTAs this year.

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has been getting more creative with his play-calling as of late and if he does find a way to get Pollard and Elliott on the field together more often, that could only mean good things for Dallas.

But even if he remains solely in the role he’s been working in the past three years, Pollard has already proven he’s an important member of this team.