Dallas Cowboys Running Backs Since 2000 are Ezekiel Elliott, DeMarco Murray, Marion Barber, Doen Anderson, Tashard Choice, and Rod Smith.
The Cowboys have had a rich history of Running Backs (RB) since their inceptions in 1960. RBs have collectively introduced different playstyles and strengths to the team over the years, contributing to the Cowboys’ offensive success and legacy in NFL.
Cowboys RB Emmitt Smith leads the NFL career rushing yards with 18,365 yards. He broke the previous record held by Walter Payton in 2002 and has remained at the top ever since.
One of the most successful franchises, the Cowboys had been outstanding under head coach Tom Landry with two Super Bowls.
The Cowboys also holds the record for winning eight back-to-back NFC championships and having 20 straight winning seasons from 1966 to 1985.
Dallas Cowboys Running Backs History
| Name | Years Active |
| Alfred Morris | 2016 to 2017 |
| Rod Smith | 2015 to 2018 |
| Ezekiel Elliott | 2016 to 2022 |
| Darren McFadden | 2015 to 2017 |
| Darius Jackson | 2016 |
| Tony Pollard | 2019 to Present |
| Rico Dowdle | 2020 to Present |
| Corey Clement | 2021 |
| JaQuan Hardy | 2021 to 2022 |
| Malik Davis | 2022 to Present |
| Qadree Ollison | 2022 |
Cowboys Running Backs Last 10 Years
Running back for Dallas Cowboys are DeMarco Murray, Joseph Randle, and Ezekiel Elliott. Tony Pollard is the starting RB for the 2023 season.
| Year | Name |
| 2013 | DeMarco Murray, Lance Dunbar |
| 2014 | DeMarco Murray, Lance Dunbar |
| 2015 | Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar |
| 2016 | Ezekiel Elliott, Darren McFadden |
| 2017 | Ezekiel Elliott, Darren McFadden |
| 2018 | Ezekiel Elliott, Rod Smith |
| 2019 | Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard |
| 2020 | Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard |
| 2021 | Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard |
| 2022 | Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard |
| 2023 | Tony Pollard, Malik Davis |
DeMarco Murray
DeMarco Murray began his NFL career with the Dallas team in 2011. The Cowboys picked him in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft and held the second position in their depth chart.
The Las Vegas-born RB played a total of 17 games during his rookie season with the Cowboys and achieved 897 yards and 2 TDs with 164 rushing attempts.
Murray spent most of his NFL career with the Cowboys from 2011 to 2014 and later he joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015 and Tennessee Titans from 2016 to 2017.
DeMarco was honored by a three-time Pro Bowl selection and one-time first-team All-Pro in 2014.
Murray had a stellar season in 2014 when he shattered several franchise records as an RB. He carried the ball 392 times for a whopping 1,845 rushing yards and 13 TDs. His performance earned him the prestigious NFL Offensive Player of the Year award in 2014.
Joseph Randle
2013 fifth-round NFL Draft Joseph Randle played 35 games for the Dallas Cowboys. He spent his entire three-year career with the Cowboys.
Randle made 13 appearances in his rookie year with two games as a starter and 11 games as a backup for Pro Bowler DeMarco Murray. He recorded 164 rushing yards and two touchdowns in his first year.
After his two seasons as a backup, Randle started the 2015 season’s first six games before suffering a strained oblique muscle. As a starter, he made 315 rushing yards, and 4 touchdowns, with 4.1 average rushing yards per attempt.
Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elliott has gained 8,262 rushing yards and 68 touchdowns in his seven-year career with the Dallas franchise.
Elliott was drafted by the Cowboys in the 2016 NFL Draft. The three-time Pro Bowl-honored RB Elliott was named NFL rushing yards leader and first-team All-Pro in his rookie year.
Elliott concluded his rookie season by rushing for 1,632 yards from 32 receptions and performed 15 touchdowns. The 2017 season saw him make 983 yards and 7 touchdowns.
However, in 2018, the running back was able to rush for 1,434 yards and gained 6 touchdowns from 77 receptions. As of the 2023 season, Elliott plays for New England Patriots.
Tony Pollard
Pollard has a total of 2,616 rushing yards, 21 TDs, and 121 receptions from representing the Cowboys since 2019.
During his rookie season, Pollard made his NFL debut against New York Giants in Week 1 and achieved 13 carries for 24 yards. The RB made his name as a starter in the 2023 season depth chart.
Pollard made his comeback in the 2022 season and carried the ball 193 times for a whopping 1,007 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns.
Dallas Cowboys Running Backs Depth Chart 2023
According to ESPN, the Dallas Cowboys RB Depth Chart for the 2023 season is listed below:
- Tony Pollard
- Malik Davis
- Ronald Jones
- Deuce Vaughn
Tony Pollard is the starter for the 2023 season after releasing Ezekiel Elliott on March 15, 2023. Pollard is looking for a comeback as a starter after playing four seasons as a backup player.
Pollard was the best RB in the Cowboys franchise with 9 touchdowns last year. He recorded his NFL career-best performance of 193 attempts for 1,007 rushing yards and 39 receptions.
Cowboys RB coach Feff Blasko has Ronald Jones, Malik Davis, and Deuce Vaughn as a backup. All of them have already shown their skills and talent to be considered for a spot in the active roaster.
Just behind him, the newly selected Malik Davis will be looking to showcase their talent and skills. Davis impressed the franchise with 161 rushing yards, one touchdown, and 6 receptions from 12 games in the 2022 season.
Then, there is the former Kansas City Chiefs player Ronald Jones. Jones has played 61 games for the Chiefs and Buccaneers since 2018. He has started 16 games in the regular season.
In 2023, Jones was suspended for the first two games of the 2023 regular season.
The Dallas franchise has added a new RB Deuce Vaughn to the list of their depth chart to provide more flexibility to their running back lineup.
The shortest running back Vaughn (5’5″) was drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kansas State from 2020 to 2022.
Vaughn completed his college football rushing for 3,604 and 34 touchdowns in a total of three seasons.
Dallas Cowboys Running Backs All Time Best List
Dallas Cowboys Running Backs history contains great players like Emmitt Smith, Tony Dorsett, DeMarco Murray, Herschel Walker, and Daryl Johnston.
Emmitt Smith
The best running back of all time Emmitt Smith began his NFL career with Dallas Cowboys. He played 13 seasons with the Cowboys before joining the Arizona Cardinals in 2003.
In 226 games, Marshall rushed for 18,355 yards and secured 164 touchdowns in 4,409 attempts. His rushing yards per game are around 14.3 and he had a 4.2 rushing average.
Smith was honored with Super Bowl MVP, NFL Most Valuable Player, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, 8-time Pro Bowl selections, and 4-time first-team All-Pro. Likewise, Smith helped the Cowboys to win back-to-back Super Bowl victories in 1992, 1993, and 1994.
The 54-year-old veteran running back was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Tony Dorsett
The first-round draft of the Cowboys is on the list of greatest RBs of all time. Tony played for the Cowboys from 1977 to 1987 with 12,036 rushing yards.
Dorsett spent 11 seasons in the National Football League as an RB with the Dallas team and Denver Broncos. He is widely considered one of the greatest running back in franchise history.
The Super Bowl champion and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year had 12,736 yards and 77 TDs in his NFL career. He tied the NFL record for a 99-yard rushing touchdown with Derrick Henry.
Out of 157 games, Dorsett started 139 games for Dallas Cowboys during his tenure with the Cowboys. Due to his left knee injury, he announced his retirement from football in 1988.
He was inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994.
Daryl Johnston
Another great RB in franchise history is Daryl Johnston who represented the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 1999.
He played his entire 11-year career with the Cowboys, winning 3 Super Bowls: XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX. He also bagged 2 Pro Bowl selections.
In his career, Daryl had 232 carries for 753 yards, 294 catches for 2,227 yards, and 22 touchdowns. Johnston receiving yards per game is 5.0 with an average of 3.2 per attempt.
Currently, he is the President of the United State Football League, a position he assumed after serving as the USFL Executive vice president for football operations in 2022.