Rico Dowdle

26-Year-Old Running BackRB

Dallas Cowboys

2024 Rush/Rec Stats

ATT

235

YDS

1079

YDS

249

Rest-of-Season Projections

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YDS

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2024 Fantasy Outlook

Dowdle is an interesting fringe prospect and a fine part of the Dallas roster, but he's probably not the type of backup who can truly take over for a starter if an emergency arises. He looks the part of a powerful runner at 5-11, 215, but he struggled with injuries at South Carolina and never lived up to the promise of his 2016 freshman season. That initial campaign produced his collegiate highs for touches (148), total yards (819) and touchdowns (seven), with Dowdle limited by injuries, fumbles and/or timeshares thereafter. He then hung around the back end of the Cowboys' roster and practice squad for three years after going undrafted in 2020, finally getting his big break in 2023 as the No. 2 back behind Tony Pollard (who didn't miss any games). There's another opportunity on hand with Pollard gone and replaced by 29-year-old Ezekiel Elliott, but Dowdle's mediocre work last season (4.1 YPC last season) leaves his depth chart standing in question, with anywhere from first to fourth looking possible as camp approaches. Read Past Outlooks

RANKS

#139.72

ADP

Overall

Running Back

Bye Week 7

Height 6'0"

Weight 215

DOB 6/14/1998

College South Carolina

Finishes season strong

RBDallas Cowboys

January 5, 2025

Dowdle rushed 22 times for 72 yards and a touchdown while catching two of three targets for 12 yards in Sunday's 23-19 loss to the Commanders.

ANALYSIS
Dowdle's two-yard rushing touchdown with 7:02 remaining in the fourth quarter gave the Cowboys a 19-16 lead, but the Commanders responded with a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds. The pending unrestricted free agent bolstered his value with a strong stretch run, as Dowdle compiled 591 rushing yards and two touchdowns over the last six games. Overall, Dowdle recorded 235 carries for 1,079 yards and two touchdowns while catching 39 of 49 targets for 249 yards and three touchdowns in this breakout season. If the Cowboys bring Dowdle back, they will likely look to bolster their backfield further via the draft or free agency.

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NFL Stats

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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats

See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.

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Advanced NFL Stats

How do Rico Dowdle's 2024 advanced stats compare to other running backs?

This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.

Broken Tackle %
The number of broken tackles divided by rush attempts.
Positive Run %
The percentage of run plays where he was able to gain positive yardage.
% Yds After Contact
The percentage of his rushing yards that came after contact.
Avg Yds After Contact
The average rushing yards he gains after contact.
Rushing TD %
Rushing touchdowns divided by rushing attempts. In other words, how often is he scoring when running the ball.
Touches Per Game
The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) he is averaging per game
% Snaps w/Touch
The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) divided by offensive snaps played.
Air Yards Per Game
The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
Air Yards Per Snap
The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
% Team Air Yards
The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
% Team Targets
The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
Avg Depth of Target
Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
Catch Rate
The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
Drop Rate
The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
Avg Yds After Catch
The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
% Targeted On Route
Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
Avg Yds Per Route Run
Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.

Broken Tackle %

15.7%

Positive Run %

87.7%

% Yds After Contact

62.7%

Avg Yds After Contact

2.9

Rushing TD %

0.9%

Touches Per Game

17.1

% Snaps w/Touch

45.4%

Air Yards Per Game

-0.9

Air Yards Per Snap

-0.02

% Team Air Yards

-0.3%

% Team Targets

7.9%

Avg Depth of Target

-0.3 Yds

Catch Rate

79.6%

Drop Rate

2.0%

Avg Yds After Catch

7.1

% Targeted On Route

17.5%

Avg Yds Per Route Run

0.89

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2024 NFL Game Log

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2023 NFL Game Log

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2022 NFL Game Log

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2021 NFL Game Log

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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart

Snap Counts

Snap %

Cowboys 2024 RB Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts

R.Rico Dowdle

E.Ezekiel Elliott

D.Deuce Vaughn

D.Dalvin Cook

#% of Team Snaps

60454%

24422%

494%

232%

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#1 RB

Cowboys

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Receiving Alignment Breakdown

See where Rico Dowdle lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.

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2024 Rico Dowdle Split Stats

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Measurables Review View College Player Page

How do Rico Dowdle's measurables compare to other running backs?

This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.

Height

6' 0"

Weight

215 lbs

40-Yard Dash

4.54 sec

Vertical Jump

38.0 in

Broad Jump

127 in

Bench Press

0 reps

Hand Length

9.50 in

Arm Length

31.38 in

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Past Fantasy Outlooks

2023

2021

2020

The 25-year-old has just seven NFL carries since being signed as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina in 2020, as injuries have disrupted his career so far, but Dowdle drew high marks in training camp for his football IQ and blocking ability. His value as a special-teams player could secure him a spot on the 53-man roster regardless of how much usage he sees on offense.

A 2020 undrafted free agent, Dowdle earned a spot on special teams and saw brief action on offense in a couple games but didn't impress with his seven carries. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard are locked into the top two spots on the depth chart, so Dowdle may not see a big increase in snaps in his second NFL campaign, but the Cowboys seem comfortable with him in the No. 3 role.

Dowdle never matched the 764 rushing yards and 5.7 YPC he posted as a freshman in 2016, and as a result he went undrafted out of South Carolina. He does possess adequate athleticism and a versatile skill set and could carve out a depth role in the NFL, but gameday snaps on offense will be hard to find in Dallas behind Ezekiel Elliott.

More Fantasy News

Hits season milestone in loss

RBDallas Cowboys

December 29, 2024

Dowdle rushed 23 times for 104 yards and brought in his only target for four yards in the Cowboys' 41-7 loss to the Eagles on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.