The Dallas Cowboys made some strides in the run game last season with Javonte Williams coming in and rushing for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns. Overall, the Cowboys averaged the eighth-most rush yards per game (125.6 YPG), providing a nice balance on offense alongside one of the league's top passing attacks with quarterback Dak Prescott.
With that said, the depth behind Williams, whom the Cowboys re-signed to a three-year, $24 million deal, is not great.
Malik Davis was placed on injured reserve at the end of last season with eye and calf injuries, while Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah are heading into the second year of their rookie contracts. That should make their focus be on bringing in a veteran who has proven to be an RB2, something that former Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers RB Najee Harris has shown he can be.
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, Harris "will meet with the Raiders next Thursday," which comes after he already visited the Seattle Seahawks.
Harris suffered a torn Achilles tendon last season, but the Cowboys should at least try to get on his radar before he meets with the Raiders, considering their questions behind Williams on the depth chart.
Cowboys Should Consider Pursuing Najee Harris Before Missing the Chance
Williams was clearly a bright spot for Dallas last season, topping 100 rush yards twice and running for at least one TD in nine games.
The drop-off from him to the other backs, though, is where the concern lies ahead of the 2026 season. While Davis averaged the same amount of yards per rush (4.8) as Williams, he only rushed for 250 yards and two TDs. Blue (129 yards, one TD) and Mafah (18 yards, one TD) were not much of a factor during their rookie seasons and provide more of an unknown.
Until Harris was limited to just three games in 2025 due to the Achilles injury, he had put together four consistent seasons with the Steelers to begin his NFL career. He topped 1,000 rush yards in each of those seasons and totaled 28 TDs, in addition to his six in the passing attack. Harris never averaged more than 4.1 yards per rush, which is not the most encouraging when you factor in that he is also coming off a serious injury.
You could make the case that Blue could make the jump to RB2 with another offseason to improve and get accustomed to the NFL. However, the Cowboys should not ignore the potential to get someone like Harris and what it could mean for depth purposes.
It is hard to fully know what to expect from him coming off the injury, but Dallas should at least be willing to get on his radar before it is too late, especially considering the Raiders were ranked last (32nd) in rush yards last season (77.5 YPG) and could definitely use an upgrade in the backfield.
It was no secret coming into the offseason that the Cowboys needed to make some upgrades on defense, and that is exactly what they have done with sneaky free agent addition Cobie Durant. Keeping Williams around gives them some familiarity in the rushing attack, but it would not be far-fetched if the Cowboys try to make a move in that area as well.
Blue and Mafah may put it all together and round into form with more time, but with serious RB2 concerns behind Williams at the moment, the Cowboys could be making a mistake by not going after Harris while he is available.