A look at the Dallas Cowboys’ 2024 RB room, returning Ezekiel Elliott included (2024)

The Dallas Cowboys avoided selecting a running back in the 2024 NFL draft, but still added a new face at the position.

Well, Ezekiel Elliott isn’t exactly a new face in Dallas, but the position group still has a different look from the one fielded in 2023. With Tony Pollard gone and Elliott back in North Texas, here’s a look at how the Cowboys’ running back room is shaping up heading into the 2024 season:

Ezekiel Elliott

After one season with the New England Patriots, Elliott finds himself back in Dallas. He was originally released by the Cowboys in March 2023 after finishing the 2022 campaign with 876 rushing yards and no 100-yard rushing games.

Elliott is Dallas’ third all-time leading rusher, compiling 8,262 yards and 68 scores on the ground in his last stint with the franchise. He was New England’s leading rusher last season, posting 642 rushing yards. Elliott rejoins the Cowboys on a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $3 million.

2023 stats: 184 carries for 642 yards and three rushing touchdowns; 51 receptions for 313 yards and two receiving touchdowns.

Career stats: 2,065 carries for 8,904 yards and 71 rushing touchdowns; 356 receptions for 2,649 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns.

Rico Dowdle

Dowdle posted the most productive season of his career in 2023, rushing for 361 yards and two touchdowns on 89 carries. He spent much of the campaign as the second-string option to Pollard, appearing in 16 games.

After being hindered by injuries in his first two professional seasons, Dowdle chose to re-sign with the Cowboys this offseason. He agreed to a one-year contract worth $1.255 million.

2023 stats: 89 carries for 361 yards and two rushing touchdowns; 17 catches for 144 yards and two receiving touchdowns.

Career stats: 96 carries for 385 yards and two rushing touchdowns; 17 catches for 144 yards and two receiving touchdowns.

Deuce Vaughn

Vaughn was inactive for much of his rookie campaign in 2023, appearing in seven games for the Cowboys. A sixth-round pick out of Kansas State, Vaughn recorded 23 carries for 40 yards last season. He could also be a special-teams option, returning four punts for 19 yards.

Vaughn was seen as the feel-good story of the Cowboys’ 2023 draft and showed promise in the team’s preseason outing. Could the second-year back receive a longer look with Elliott back in the fold?

2023 stats: 23 carries for 40 yards; seven catches for 40 yards.

Career stats: 23 carries for 40 yards; seven catches for 40 yards.

Royce Freeman

Freeman, a veteran journeyman, is one of two outside additions at the position. He recently spent the 2023 season with the Los Angeles Rams, making Dallas his fifth career NFL team.

His most productive season came in 2018 as a rookie with the Denver Broncos, where he ran for 521 yards and five touchdowns on 130 carries. Freeman was a 2018 third-round pick for the Broncos out of Oregon.

2023 stats: 77 carries for 319 yards and two rushing touchdowns; one catch for 13 yards.

Career stats: 471 carries for 1,792 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns; 86 catches for 532 yards and one receiving touchdown.

Hunter Luepke

Luepke was one of two rookies in the Dallas backfield last season, although he saw most of his action at fullback. He made the Cowboys’ roster as an undrafted free agent out of North Dakota State.

His only touchdown came during a Week 4 win over the Patriots, punching in a 3-yard carry.

2023 stats: Six carries for 19 yards and one rushing touchdown; three catches for 18 yards.

Career stats: Six carries for 19 yards and one rushing touchdown; three catches for 18 yards.

Malik Davis

After spending the past two seasons in Dallas, Davis ensured he’d remain with the Cowboys by signing a Reserve/Future contract in January. He appeared in only three games last season, mainly in a reserve role behind Pollard and Dowdle.

Davis originally landed in Dallas as an undrafted rookie out of Florida in 2022.

2023 stats: No carries or receptions.

Career stats: 38 carries for 161 yards and one rushing touchdown; six catches for 63 yards.

Snoop Conner

Like Davis, Conner joined the Cowboys on a Reserve/Future deal in January. He spent part of the last two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, landing on the team’s practice squad in 2023.

The Jaguars selected Conner in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

2023 stats: No carries or receptions.

Career stats: 12 carries for 42 yards and one rushing touchdown.

Nathaniel Peat

Dallas still found a way to add a rookie to the running back mix, despite not using a draft pick on a prospect. The Cowboys agreed to terms with Peat as an undrafted free agent over the weekend.

Peat was Missouri’s third-leading rusher last season, posting 347 yards and three touchdowns on 76 carries. He originally started his collegiate career at Stanford, transferring to Missouri in 2022.

2023 stats (at Missouri): 76 carries for 317 yards and three rushing touchdowns; six catches for 81 yards and one receiving touchdown.

Collegiate stats: 293 carries for 1,420 yards and nine rushing touchdowns; 32 catches for 253 yards and two receiving touchdowns.

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