NFL cuts are in full swing, but with them comes player movement and an opportunity for players to make a name for themselves elsewhere. Among those searching for greener pastures is ex-Cardinals running back Emari Demarcado.
The Dallas Cowboys picked up Demarcado off waivers. Let’s look at what he may bring to the Cowboys roster.
Upside for big plays
At 5’9”, 215 lbs., Demarcado is a shifty, elusive and speedy back that hits gaps fast and is probably what the Cowboys were hoping to find in Jaydon Blue. The thing is, Demarcado has
actually had some success in the NFL, particularly with Cowboys OC Klayton Adams.
Throughout his previous three years, Demarcado has averaged 6.5 yards per carry on the ground and per reception. He’s added three rushing TDs as well as a receiving touchdown throughout that time frame as well.
The last time he was paired with Klayton Adams, Demarcado rushed for 507 yards on 82 carries. A healthy 6.1-yard-per-carry average, but in Adams’ last year in Arizona, Demarcado averaged 9.3 yards per carry. Needless to say, the potential is there.
Third-down back
If you’re going to be a third-down back in the NFL you need two things: pass-catching ability and pass protection ability. We already noted above that he can catch the ball and turn it into yards, but he also has some experience protecting his quarterback.
He logged 47 snaps in pass-protection in 2023, 30 snaps in that role in 2024, and 27 snaps in 2025, spending at least 18% of his total snaps each season in pass-protection. In total, Demercado yielded just eight pressures on his 104 pass-blocking snaps for the Cardinals.
Needs Improvement
Most of us, however, remember Demarcado coughing up the ball as he blew a would-be touchdown last year when the Cardinals played the Titans.
A lapse of focus? Poor judgment? We may never know; either way, it cost the Cards a game, but to this day it is still the only fumble he has committed in his brief time in the NFL.
What about his size? Demarcado is not the smallest back, but he certainly isn’t a bruiser either. What is compelling is that the Cowboys think he can block in pass protection better than Blue or Phil Mafah, and that it could still be an area of growth for him.
There have been questions at times about inefficient footwork and his vision not operating quickly enough. In small sample usage, he creates big plays, but can he produce like that on a steady diet of carries? In Dallas, he may not have to but it seems to have held him back from full-time work.
Big picture
Obviously, Dallas was not satisfied with the running back room behind Javonte Williams. Blue and Mafah did not make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster for a number of reasons, and yes, Demarcado has a couple of years on Blue and Mafah, but he has shown more than either of those two ever have.
Demarcado is the kind of back that can exploit a gap and get chunk yardage, a true change-of-pace back that Dallas has been seeking. He is also well-positioned to be a third -down back with his pass-catching skills and ability to hold up in pass protection.
