How many total yards are you expecting for Jaydon Blue in 2025?
In large part due to the depth at running back in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys may have landed the most explosive and elusive RB in the entire draft class when they selected Jaydon Blue in the fifth-round (149th overall).
The former Texas Longhorns RB is a little diminutive by NFL standards, coming in at just 5’9″, 196-pounds, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in speed and elusiveness. It’s those two traits that could earn him an important and versatile role in Dallas’ offense this season.
We could sit here and throw all kinds of stats at you to show the Cowboys offense lacked explosive plays a season ago, but what’s the point? We all know they struggled picking up chunk plays last year in both the passing and running game. If Jaydon Blue is the player we believe he is, lack of explosive plays should be a thing of the past.
While it’s true its way too early to know what kind of role Blue will play with the Cowboys in his rookie season, we still believe he could be a big part of the game plan on a week-to-week basis. In fact, we’re going to make the bold prediction he amasses 1,000 all-purpose yards in his first season in the NFL.
With weapons the Cowboys now have in the passing game (CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Jake Ferguson) and the belief the offensive line will be much improved this year, things set up perfectly for Blue to blow up the stat line this season as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield.
We base this line of thinking mostly around what Miami Dolphins RB De’Von Achane was able accomplish in his rookie season. He rushed for a total of 800 yards on 103 carries and caught 27 passes for 197 yards, finishing three measly yards shy of 1,000 all-purpose yards in 2023.
Achane was able to accomplish all of that after playing a 11 total games as a rookie, starting only four of those contest. In his first year with the Dolphins he played a little over a quarter of the offensive snaps (27.32%), which could be similar to how the Cowboys plan on utilizing Blue in his rookie year.
The reason we believe Achane is a good comparison for Blue is because they are almost mirror images of one another as far as physical attributes, talent, and size is concerned. The only real difference is Achane is about 10 pounds lighter than Blue’s 5’9″, 196 pounds. Other than that, they are both versatile, explosive playmakers out of the backfield.
It’s definitely a bold assumption to believe Blue can replicate the success Achane accomplished as a rookie with little to no evidence as to how he will perform in the NFL, but that’s the assumption we’re making nonetheless. In fact, remember you heard it here first.
With Lamb and Pickens opening things up in the passing game and with an upgraded offensive line, things set up near perfectly for Blue to pileup yards this year as both a runner and receiver. Disagree if you must, but that’s the bold prediction we’re making right now and we’re sticking to it.
