Cowboys 53-man roster prediction after preseason Week 1

Running Back (3):

Ezekiel Elliott
Tony Pollard
Malik Davis

This front office is still trying to do all they can to convince the world they didn’t give Ezekiel Elliott the worst contract in the history of sports contracts. They did though, and everyone knew it before the ink even dried.

Still, they keep touting Zeke as the feature of their offense so he continues to be the No. 1 running back. This isn’t meant to say he’s not a capable player — and he will probably have decent numbers once again in 2022 — but anyone who pays attention can see that Tony Pollard is the better option.

Pollard is more explosive in both the running and passing game. He’s also better at breaking tackles, even though that might not be the narrative. Even so, he’s going to be the backup while also serving as the return man. The good news is that he will still get the ball often and has proven, despite not getting the touches he deserves, that he’s one of the biggest playmakers in the NFL.

As for the third running back, Malik Davis edges out Rico Dowdle. While Dowdle has been with the team longer, he has issues with durability and Davis proved in their game against Denver that he can make things happen when given a chance.

Dallas rarely uses a fullback and they do have Ryan Nall, but they decide to move in a different direction here. Last year, we saw they had no issue using a guard or tackle in this role and they could also slide a tight end into the spot when needed.