The NFL offseason is moving at an all-gas, no-breaks speed as the 2025 organized team activities (OTAs) continue in May's dying days. The Dallas Cowboys kicked off two-week-long OTAs on Monday, giving fans a better sense of how the Brian Schottenheimer era will differ from Mike McCarthy's failed run in the Lone Star State.
The early reports from the first few days of OTAs have largely been positive. Whether it's been the Cowboys' praise for the locker room environment or the incoming rookies impressing their veteran counterparts, all signs point to the vibes in Dallas being much better than they have been in recent years.
Speaking of rookies, few Cowboys fans would be shocked if one recent Day 3 selection ends up stealing the show once OTAs wrap up.
Cowboys Rookie RB Jaydon Blue Will Steal Show Before OTAs End
One rookie whom Cowboys fans had high hopes for ahead of OTAs is none other than Jaydon Blue. The former Texas Longhorns running back was drafted 149th overall by Dallas last month and is expected to compete against the likes of Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders for the No. 1 RB job.
Judging by the other names in the Cowboys' backfield, it isn't hard to imagine Blue as having the best chance of the bunch at winning the starting job. Williams and Sanders are veteran runners whose careers are trending in the wrong direction, and their outlook could be grimmer now since they were signed before Dallas drafted Blue.
There's also the 5-foot-6 Deuce Vaughn and fellow rookie RB Phil Mafah; however, neither has the type of upside that the ex-Longhorn boasts.
During his final collegiate campaign, Blue put his potential on display by recording career highs in carries (134), rushing yards (730), and touchdowns (8) while also posting a solid 42-368-6 stat line as a receiver. His 14 total TDs from scrimmage were the fourth-most in the SEC, highlighting his skills as a dual-threat that could benefit the Cowboys' attack.
That's without mentioning how Blue is already behaving like a seasoned pro. The 21-year-old RB predicted earlier this week that he'll win the 2025 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, leaving it up to him to prove if he'll be the first Cowboy to win it since quarterback Dak Prescott took home the honors in 2016.
Blue already did a solid job of keeping his name in the spotlight throughout the first week of OTAs, leaving time to tell if he will continue doing so. If successful, there's a decent chance the 2025 fifth-rounder will be leading the Cowboys' backfield in Week 1 and beyond.