Over the next weeks, dallascowboys.com dives deeper into the talented group of undrafted rookies that will battle for a roster spot this offseason.
- Name: Malik Davis
- Position: Running Back
- Height: 5-9
- Weight: 202
- School: Florida (SEC)
- Awards and Recognition: 2017 All-SEC Freshman Team
The Good: For a tailback as battle tested as Davis, he has relatively low wear-and-tear entering the NFL. Dan Mullen never really utilized a specific tailback at Florida and insisted on a rotational backfield. Because of this, Davis never had more than 92 carries in a single season despite being a multi-year starter. Strong and compact runner with good vision and ball security. Never recorded a single fumble in his entire Florida career.
The Project: As a full-time starter in the SEC, there is an expectation to be an 'every down back' and an impact player for an offense. Davis was not that towards the back half of his career. Instead, Dameon Pierce had more carries and more touchdowns than Davis in 2021. His straight-line speed is low on the list of rookie running backs with a 4.69 40-yard dash, and he fails to show explosiveness on film when he can't hit the hole.
The Summary: Davis packs a lot of punch for a 5-foot-9 tailback but not a lot of explosiveness. This bodes well for a short-yardage back or even a hybrid fullback sort of role like Sewo Olonilua filled for the last couple of seasons. His vision and awareness will help him get early reps in training camp, while his receiving ability out of the backfield will help him get snaps in the preseason games as well. It'll be interesting to see where he'll find his role in Dallas.
