Malik Davis eyes a clearer Dallas Cowboys path to RB2 as preseason competition tightens

The Dallas Cowboys’ running back depth chart is entering a sharper phase as the team prepares for its second preseason game, and this week’s spotlight has shifted toward fourth-year back Malik Davis. According to Yahoo Sports, much of the offseason conversation about Dallas’ second-year options has centered on Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah, but the emphasis going into the next exhibition looks to be on Davis as he tries to separate himself in the RB2 conversation.

For the Cowboys, the preseason is not simply about workload or stats, it is also about clarity. The first team reps and the early rotation can explain how coaches view each player’s role, especially when the roster battle is concentrated in a handful of backs. In a backfield where carry volume is limited and snaps are distributed in tight windows, coaches tend to look for repeatable traits: pass protection awareness, route discipline when receptions are on the menu, and the ability to convert short-yardage chances when the run game tightens.

The context for Davis’ push is that Dallas has already generated discussion around the team’s second-year running backs. Yahoo Sports framed the offseason conversation as a debate that had largely focused on Blue and Mafah, both positioned within their first few NFL seasons as internal candidates for expanded responsibility. That type of framing typically matters because teams usually prioritize developmental trajectories, then decide how much of that bet becomes immediate opportunity based on what happens in camps and exhibitions.

What makes this week notable is the reported change in narrative. Yahoo Sports described Davis as a central figure in the ongoing depth conversation heading into the Cowboys’ second preseason game, suggesting the coaching staff and observers may be paying closer attention to whether the fourth-year running back can provide the “next step” value beyond the early-season depth order.

Davis’s challenge, by nature, is that a depth chart does not move only because a player works hard. It moves when the coaching staff sees a consistent skill package that fits specific game situations. In Dallas’ case, a player trying to secure RB2 typically needs to show reliable ball security on all touches, physical but controlled running behind a changing front, and the ability to contribute in the passing game when the offense shifts into protection schemes and checkdowns. Preseason snaps also tend to expose who can handle the speed of the second and third units when opponents bring different looks than the starters saw.

At the same time, it is important to separate attention from certainty. The Yahoo Sports piece describes the focus and the competitive storyline, but it does not provide official confirmation of where Davis stands relative to Blue and Mafah on an updated depth chart. That means the “RB2 job” language should be read as a competition heading into the next exhibition, not a guarantee that the final pecking order will be determined by one performance.

As the Cowboys move deeper into the preseason, the immediate question becomes how each back responds to increasing game planning. If Davis can translate his reps into tangible advantages, such as holding onto more touches with the second-unit offense or proving he can sustain efficiency through multiple drives, his case strengthens. If Blue or Mafah continues to look like the more natural fit for the second-unit role, then the story likely shifts back toward them once additional game footage is in hand.

For fans and evaluators, the next thing to watch is how Dallas rotates its running backs in the same sequences. The way the team deploys its backs together, and the moments each player gets after predictable situations, often reveals which skill sets coaches value most when the game tightens. Davis’ week matters because it could clarify whether he is simply steady depth or an actual lever in the Cowboys’ running back hierarchy going forward.