To the surprise of many, the Dallas Cowboys waited until Day 3 of the 2025 NFL draft to address their running back situation. To the surprise of many more, Dallas then double-dipped at the RB position, selecting Phil Mafah out of Clemson two rounds after selecting Texas’ Jaydon Blue.
At first glance, Mafah looked like he might have a chance to make the cut. Veteran free agents Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders weren’t overly inspiring additions and Blue, his fellow rookie, was just a fifth-round pick with his own hill to climb. Carving out a role in the rotation was perfectly feasible if the 6-foot, 234-pound Mafah could just find his niche.
Early on in camp the optimism towards Mafah’s rookie impact began to fizzle. Sanders and Williams both looked like legitimate starting quality RBs and Blue had the juice this Cowboys offense was missing. To make things even harder, Hunter Luepke was signed to a multi-year extension, solidifying his spot on the roster and in the backfield.
Despite the many hurdles, Mafah developed quite the fan following. His size and bruising style of play made him standout in the Cowboys’ RB room. His good nature and work ethic only fueled those flames as rumors of Blue’s trustworthiness fell into question.
Eventually, a pesky shoulder injury landed Mafah on IR prior to the season. Mafah would return but didn’t contribute until Week 18 alongside Blue. Together, the two rookies played well in this otherwise meaningless season finale. Blue received most of a praise after a few highlight runs but Mafah did more than carry his own.
According to PFF grades, Mafah performed the better of the two when all snaps were considered. 10 offensive snaps is hardly the sample size one can draw reasonable conclusions, but his 71.7 grade ranks him No. 4 in his draft class this year. It’s worth pointing out Blue’s 56.9 grade ranks him 19 spots lower. While Blue might still be the more exciting of the two going into 2026, Mafah should take solace in the fact there’s nothing wrong with being the Garfunkel of a draft duo such as this and he may actually have the brighter future.
Mafah will need to stay healthy over the offseason but if he can be a trustworthy player in pass protection and special teams, he could very easily work his way into a meaningful role in 2026.
Mafah 2025 rookie grade: D+
Other Cowboys rookie grades
Tyler Booker
Donovan Ezeiruaku
Shavon Revel
Jayden Blue
Shemar James
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys’ 7th-round pick fails to make grade thanks to lengthy IR trip
Reporting by Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
