They say hindsight is 20-20 and that’s especially true when it comes to retrospective looks at the NFL draft. In the crapshoot that is the draft, there are countless examples of coulda/woulda/shouldas and blatant Monday morning quarterbacking. As the Dallas Cowboys wave goodbye to two running backs from their 2025 draft class, it only seems right to look back and imagine what might have been.
Jaydon Blue, drafted No. 149 overall, and Phil Mafah, drafted No. 239 overall, were each released as the Cowboys whittled down to their initial 53-man roster this year. Neither were brought back to the practice squad at the time of this writing (Blue was picked up by Philadelphia), and both can be properly cataloged as draft misses for Dallas.
It’s an unfortunate
turn of events because the Cowboys have had needs and opportunities at the running back position these last two years. RB2 was well within reach each time, but neither made a case for consideration. Running through an “if only” scenario such as this doesn’t change anything, but it does bring to light that certain winning solutions were available and identifying them this time might help prevent similar mistakes in the future.
Kyle Monangai, No. 233 overall
Selected 84 spots behind Blue was Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai. At 5-foot-8, 211 pounds, he was a short and stout prospect who likely polarized scouts. While Dane Brugler had him graded above both Blue and Mafah, teams like the Cowboys clearly thought differently.
Opting for speed and upside, Dallas turned up their noses at the reliable Monangai. All Monangai did as a seventh-round pick of the Chicago Bears is run for 783 yards and five touchdowns. The high-floor prospect produced successful runs on over 50 percent of his opportunities. Blue only had a 36.8 percent success rate on 129 yards.
Kyle Monangai run.pic.twitter.com/UHaENtRDwB
— ✶Ⓜ️𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤 ▶️✶ (@_MarcusD3_) January 19, 2026
Jacory Croskey Merritt, No. 245
Jacory Croskey Merritt, the last running back selected in the 2025 NFL draft, was perhaps the biggest sleeper of them all. This unassuming back from Arizona was slightly built at 5-foot-10, 208 pounds, but possessed excellent stop-start ability and game breaking traits. A sixth-year senior, Croskey Merritt was 24 years old entering the NFL. It’s likely his size and age worked against him for scouts, and it didn't help he had a limited track record against top college programs.
A seventh-round pick of the Washington Commanders, Croskey Merritt rushed for 805 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie. He had a rushing success rate of nearly 54 percent, breaking 13 tackles on the year. It’s safe to say no one saw his breakout season coming, but it's worth pointing out Brugler did grade him above Mafah, making the Cowboys' decision awfully regrettable.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt reached a top speed of 21.62 mph on this 72-yard TD, the fastest speed on a play in his career, per @NextGenStats 💨
— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) December 25, 2025
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Also streaming on #NFLPluspic.twitter.com/SbYsVRQlMb
Takeaway
Mafah was attractive for his size and Blue was attractive for his speed, but neither player offered the vision and reliability of the alternative two. The Cowboys fell in love with the ceilings when they possibly should have been more focused on the floor.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 2 RBs Cowboys should have drafted instead of released Blue, Mafah
