The Dallas Cowboys have several roster battles that are expected to happen during training camp, most of which will occur on the defensive side of the ball. However, there is one intriguing battle on offense that is starting to gain more national attention and that is the backup running back job.
Javonte Williams had a massive breakout season for the Cowboys and got rewarded with a contract extension over the offseason. However, it is worth noting that Williams wore down in the second half of the season and wasn’t quite as effective as he was in the first eight games. The Cowboys know this and that’s why they are trying to find a suitable complement to Williams.
The belief is that Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah are ready to take big leaps in Year 2, with Blue adding some speed to the offense. While all of the buzz has been positive regarding Blue and Mafah this offseason, there are two other running backs who shouldn’t be dismissed in this competition.
Malik Davis and Israel Abanikanda shouldn't be discounted in Cowboys' RB2 battle
The first is Malik Davis, who earned the RB2 job for the majority of the 2025 season. He had a career-high 52 carries and averaged a whopping 4.8 yards per rush. But the knock on Davis is that he’ll turn 28 during the regular season and we know what he is at this point in his career.
But the reason why we can’t completely dismiss him is that the coaches trust him and he has a role on special teams. Despite being active for just 10 games last season, Davis played 147 snaps on special teams, according to Pro Football Reference. That is a ton of snaps for a running back, especially when you consider he’s not on the field for field goals or extra points.
Davis probably isn’t cut out to be the clear-cut RB2, despite filling that role at times last season. But he does have a spot on the 53-man roster because of what he can do on special teams. He was one of the team’s highest-graded special teams players last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and that’s how a player like Davis can keep a roster spot over a more talented runner, such as Blue or Mafah.
So if we assume that Davis keeps the RB3 job with Javonte Williams entrenched as the starter, that only leaves (presumably) one more running back spot open. And a name that we shouldn’t completely dismiss is Israel Abanikanda, whom Dallas signed to the practice squad in November and then again to a futures contract in January.
While he doesn’t have a ton of experience running in the NFL, he’s headed into his fourth season, and he’s just 23 years old. He was one of the youngest players in the 2023 NFL Draft, and the belief was that he needed some seasoning before he was ready for a big role in the league.
While we haven’t heard a ton of news from Abanikanda from offseason workouts, privately, the Cowboys are excited about his potential fit in this offense. This isn’t to say that he is favored to beat out Jaydon Blue, but he is another option should the second-year running back from Texas not take a big step forward in camp.
Abanikanda has a ton of speed, but he has more size and overall power than Blue. He is someone who has bounced around the league over the last few years, but he might have found a home in Dallas.
More than anything else, he could be the reason why the Cowboys haven’t signed another veteran running back yet to compete with Blue and Mafah. It’s also worth noting that Abanikanda has some kick return experience, and that could potentially help him steal a roster spot.
Time will tell how this running back depth chart will shake out, but don’t completely rule out Abanikanda and Davis making the final 53-man roster. Both players are talented and are waiting in the wings for their opportunity to show that they can back up Javonte Williams in 2026.
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