It's hard to take the Dallas Cowboys' 31-21 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday night too seriously, as Brian Schottenheimer opted to sit most of the notable names on his roster. However, it was hard not to notice that most of those who did suit up for the preseason opener looked rather disappointing from an overall standpoint.
That said, though, there were a few players who stood out during the 10-point loss, none more so than running back Malik Davis, who rushed for a game-high 63 yards on just seven carries and added a three-yard reception en route to earning a solid 71.2 overall PFF grade.
The only offensive player to earn a higher mark for Dallas was rookie offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius, who ended his first professional game with an overall grade of 72.0 on 35 snaps.
Cowboys' running back Malik Davis shined in Week 1 of preseason
Davis wasn't even on the roster until Friday, as Dallas added him after placing offensive lineman Robert Jones on season-ending injured reserve, which makes his performance that much more impressive.
But it's not as if the former Florida Gator isn't familiar with the Cowboys' offense, as he's been with the franchise in one way or another since signing with Dallas as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
While used mostly on special teams as a rookie, Davis did get 79 snaps with the offense during the '22 campaign, rushing for 161 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries while adding another 63 yards on six receptions in 12 games. But that's the extent of his regular-season experience with the offense.
He made three appearances during the 2023 season, but all 47 snaps he took came on special teams. He then spent the entirety of last season on the practice squad before signing a reserve/future contract this past January.
Davis was waived a few days after the 2025 draft concluded in late April, but as the Cowboys have dealt with several injuries recently to running backs, he was brought back and certainly made the most of the opportunity with his performance against the Rams.
The Tampa native isn't likely to surpass Javonte Williams or Miles Sanders for one of the top two slots on the depth chart, but Jaydon Blue, Deuce Vaughn, and Phil Mafah undoubtedly noticed what went down on Saturday night. Confidence is everything, and Davis definitely has plenty of it following this wild turn of events.
"It's been great," Davis said after the game. "I was called and given an opportunity, and I went out there and made the best of the opportunity I got. … It goes to the trust they have in me and the trust I have in them. They trust in me to go out there and show that I can pick up the playbook on short notice and apply it, and I showed myself that I'm capable of doing that."
Schottenheimer, who clearly has a lot to think about over the next few weeks, had nothing but great things to say in his postgame presser.
"I can't say enough," Schottenheimer said. "It was great to see him [on Friday]. I ran right over and gave him a big hug. His run skills are incredible. And it speaks to the young man that he's in incredible shape as he waited, and he's had a couple tryouts [elsewhere], and they didn't sign him so we were able to get him back.
"Give Malik his due, he had a hell of a day."