FRISCO, Texas — In his rookie season, running back Malik Davis sat behind Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard and soaked in knowledge while also taking full advantage of his opportunities when they were given to him.
Even if those opportunities were few and far between at times, Davis cemented his presence in the running back room moving forward with solid production on over four yards per carry and his quick elusive nature out of the backfield.
Going into year two with a little bit of a different look to the position room, Davis has settled in and positioned his focus on his improvement both on and off the field.
"I'd say just understanding," Davis said on what he's trying to improve on the most in 2023. "When I'm going out, just knowing what's gonna happen before the ball snaps. That's what I want to focus on this offseason."
The understanding is something that head coach Mike McCarthy has seen crystal clearly from Davis so far this offseason as he has praised the second-year jump that the Florida product has been able to make.
"He has done an excellent job, particularly in the classroom," McCarthy said. "You can see his confidence and his understanding. I think the running backs as a whole have been really challenged this spring and the running backs have handled it extremely well. I'm very pleased with the running back group and Malik."
The ability to make an impact has increased during OTAs and minicamp with Tony Pollard still sidelined with his leg injury, as Davis has taken a large amount of first-team reps to grow even more comfortable with the offense and the players around.
"It's been very valuable and very important," Davis said. "If Tony was here, they would be cut back a little bit and when he comes back, some guys' reps will be cut. It's good that everyone is able to get those reps now going into camp and before the season."
Compared to this point last year when Davis was fresh-eyed and bushy-tailed as an undrafted free agent rookie trying to earn a roster spot, there is a much bigger sense of being rooted within the running back room and the rest of the team that he sees as something that will only help him reach his next level.
"I feel a lot more comfortable," he said. "As a rookie coming in, I didn't really know what to expect. After I got a full year under my belt, I finally got a routine so I'm just sticking to my routine."
