Is Cowboys' 2025 fifth-round pick emerging as the No. 1 RB?

Did the Dallas Cowboys find their next star running back in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft? 

Dallas rookie RB Jaydon Blue (pick No. 149) seemed like he would sit behind Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams entering training camp. He's receiving first-team reps, however, and impressing new head coach Brian Schottenheimer. 

The coach compared Blue to Darren Sproles, whom he knows well. The former RB played for Schottenheimer's father, Marty, when he was the then-San Diego Chargers HC from 2002-06. 

"I don't use that lightly," Brian Schottenheimer told the media Thursday. "Jaydon has some of those traits in terms of, just, he's electric when he gets the ball." 

Like Sproles — a member of the Hall of Fame's All-2010s Team — Blue is explosive. 

The former Texas Longhorns star ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, despite tearing his groin while training for the event. After recovering from the injury, Blue ran a 4.25 and a 4.28 40-yard dash at Texas pro day in March.  

"The quickness and ability to accelerate into the hole, I keep going back to that, it's just different," Brian Schottenheimer said. "He's got incredible lateral agility and quickness. When he jump-cuts and moves laterally, he gets to top speed in a hurry. He doesn't need a lot of space." 

Blue is also an excellent pass-catcher. He had 42 receptions for 368 yards and six touchdown catches in 15 games in 2024. The back showcased his impressive hands during a one-handed grab in a practice on Saturday.