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Feeling a little Blue today

Cowboys rookie making impact this week

I've talked up (and drafted) Javonte Williams lately, but it sounds like I should tamp the brakes a little. Fifth-round rookie Jaydon Blue merits a close look in the preseason.

Not too long ago there was a report from a former Cowboys coach that Blue's work habits were being questioned. Either that information was faulty, or Blue has shaped up in a hurry. There's been nothing but praise out of camp this week, and he was apparently getting some first-team reps in practice. So it's possible there will be a camp battle after all.

Blue worked in a committee backfield at Texas, never putting up big rushing numbers (730 yards last year). But he was an active receiver, catching 42 passes for 368 yards in 15 games. He also caught almost as many touchdowns (6) as he ran for (8).

A year ago, among all the running backs who ran for at least 700 yards, only nine caught more passes than Blue did. (Table shows the top 40 in this regard, and I've bolded the guys currently on NFL rosters, hoping to make an impact this season. There's kind of a lot of them, highlighting that these guys have a market in the NFL.)

2024 LEADING COLLEGE RUSHERS (700+ YARDS), W/RECEIVING
PlayerTeamNoRecTDRunTD
LeQuint AllenSyracuse645214102116
Dean ConnorsRice6248527809
Darius TaylorMinnesota54350298610
Mario AndersonMemphis523123136218
Desmond ReidPitt5257949665
Woody MarksUSC47321011339
Elijah YoungWestern Kentucky4738428833
Cam SkatteboArizona State456053171121
Tre WisnerTexas44311110645
Jaydon BlueTexas4236867308
Nicholas SingletonPenn State413755109912
CJ CampbellFlorida Atlantic40466384411
Brashard SmithSMU393274133214
Quali ConleyArizona3924517458
Omarion HamptonNorth Carolina383732166015
Isaac BrownLouisville301521117311
Micah BernardUtah30150210094
Lee BeebeUAB3021918847
Ollie GordonOklahoma State29179188013
Tahj BrooksTexas Tech281991150517
Jeremiyah LoveNotre Dame282372112517
Jamal HaynesGeorgia Tech2816639449
Caden DurhamLSU2826027536
Anthony HankersonOregon State271510108215
TreVeyon HendersonOhio State272841101610
Raheim SandersSouth Carolina27316288111
Jordan JamesOregon262090126715
Braydon BennettCoastal Carolina25188278111
Gavin WilliamsNorthern Illinois2514017494
Devin NealKansas242541126616
Ismail MahdiTexas State2419529914
George PettawayJames Madison2420029805
Ashton JeantyBoise State231381260129
Bhayshul TutenVirginia Tech23812115915
Jonah ColemanWashington231770105310
Demond ClaiborneWake Forest232542104911
Seth McGowanNew Mexico State2327738233
Kaleb JohnsonIowa221882153721
Rahsul FaisonUtah State2299011098

Lots of players on this list catch the eye. Las Vegas' Ashton Jeanty is already a first-round pick in early fantasy drafts. Jacksonville's Bhayshul Tuten is a guy I'm taking in some drafts, hoping he emerges in Jacksonville. Omarion Hampton with the Chargers, Cam Skattebo in New York, Kaleb Johnson in Pittsburgh, TreVeyon Henderson in New England; those guys could start or at least be 1Bs. And a couple of backups (Brashard Smith in Kansas City, Tahj Brooks in Cincinnati, Devin Neal in New Orleans, Woody Marks in Houston) might be No. 2s on those teams. Lots of fun rookies to draft.

But Blue is also in that group, and based on this week's reports, he'll be moving up in drafts. And I'll be selecting Javonte Williams with a little less enthusiasm.

--Andy Richardson

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