Jaydon Blue is one of the more anticipated fifth-round picks you’ll ever see. As the Cowboys still haven’t made clear who their starting running back is in 2025, the electric rookie is at least expected to see significant touches. An ankle injury has kept him from getting any in the first two preseason games, but Blue declared on Tuesday that he will be playing in Friday’s finale against the Atlanta Falcons.
The RB position could certainly use a shot in the arm, leg, or wherever would be most effective.
While Phil Mafah and Malik Davis looked good against the Rams, everyone struggled last Saturday against the Ravens. It was even more demoralizing as veteran Miles Sanders and guard Tyler Booker made their preseason debuts. While Booker had a strong game, Sanders struggled as the elder statesman of the RB room.
Hopefully, Blue will bring some firepower to the wet musket that’s been Dallas’ preseason offense. QB Joe Milton needs all the help he can get, having been confirmed as the starter again for Friday night. We still expect things to be fairly vanilla, which may keep a lot of Blue’s potential uses under wraps. But at the very least, hopefully, he will do more with whatever the offensive line can provide than Sanders seemed capable of last weekend.
Granted, no matter how things go in this first outing, Blue has no concerns about not making the 2025 roster. It would seem that he and Javonte Williams are the two locks, leaving Sanders, Mafah, Davis, and Deuce Vaughn to battle it out for the final spot. And if Dallas is comfortable with fullback Hunter Luepke as a third RB for games, that could leave guys like Mafah and Davis vying for the practice squad at best.
What we see from Jaydon Blue this Friday probably won’t impact roster decisions. But in the wake of some bad preseason showings and mounting frustration over Micah Parsons’ contract situation, it could help with any waning enthusiasm for the upcoming season. Exciting running backs make things more fun. Hopefully, Blue’s debut confirms that.
