Javonte Williams had a very good season for the Dallas Cowboys in 2025 under offensive coordinator Klayton Adams. His 1,201 rushing yards ranked ninth in the NFL. However, he did start to wear down a bit towards the end of the season. That was due to carrying the ball 252 times as the next closest at the running back position was Malik Davis with 52.
Speaking of Davis, he earned the RB2 role during training camp as he left Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah in his rearview, which setup an opportunity for
him to have a bigger role this season and take some of the responsibility off of Williams.
Unfortunately, Davis suffered a hip injury on Friday that will require surgery and will have him on the shelf for quite some time, Fortunately for the Cowboys, they recently signed veteran Emari Demercado.
Demercado has been in the league since 2023. After going undrafted, he was signed by the Arizona Cardinals, and he spent three seasons on their roster. This is an important factor because the aforementioned Adams was there for the first two years as the Cardinals offensive line coach, and he was vital in their rushing attack being one of the better ones in the league over that span.
In his first year, the Cardinals finished fourth in rushing yards and fourth in yards per game thanks to the unique gap runs designs that Adams implemented. A year later in 2024, the Cardinals finished in the top 10 in both categories.
Demercado, although he was a backup with the Cardinals, was able to shine under that system. He racked up 284 yards on 58 carries as a rookie, and then followed it up with 223 yards on just 24 carries in 2024, averaging an amazing 9.3 yards per rush.
The familiarity with what Adams likes to do in the run game is a big reason why the Cowboys signed Demercado, and now, he gets to work with Adams again who clearly has brought out the best in him during his short NFL career. He had 20 runs of double-digit yardage during his stint with the Cardinals, which accounted for 15.9% of his 126 carries. Also, Demercado has been a reliable pass blocker as he’s only allowed eight pressures in 104 pass-blocking reps.
The Cowboys also have Hunter Luepke on the roster, as well as Israel Abanikanda who is on the practice squad and may get a call up. Even so, Demercado has a lot more experience and production than both combined. He’s the guy that’s best suited to give Williams some relief, and that will be important later in the year as the Cowboys hopefully make a run at the playoffs.
Losing Davis was a pretty big blow, but the Cowboys need to be given a lot of credit for bringing in Demercado as insurance. Now, he gets his chance to be an even bigger part of the Cowboys’ offense, which is expected to once again be near the top of the NFL.
