Liam Murphy called Rico Dowdle a priority late-round Eliminator pick, arguing he has a real shot to be the "1B" in Dallas rather than a pure handcuff. Murphy pointed out that last season Miles Sanders saw 220 touches in Carolina’s anemic offense— "there was enough meat on the bone"—and believes Dowdle can inherit a similar early-down workload but with far better efficiency behind the Cowboys’ top-10 offensive line. With only rookie Braylon Allen and sixth-rounder Isaiah Davis behind him, Murphy sees a scenario where Dowdle handles the boring between-the-20s carries all year and still owns the contingent upside if the depth chart breaks his way. At a near-free ADP, Murphy thinks Dowdle’s combination of standalone flex value plus injury leverage is "way better than people realize."

Jon Warner said Rico Dowdle is the exact kind of contingency bet that wins the Sprint’s late rounds. Warner argued Dowdle got a "raw deal" after averaging 4.6 yards per carry and a robust 2.95 yards after contact last season, only to watch Dallas flirt with washed veterans instead of re-signing him. He believes the Cowboys’ current depth chart—Deuce Vaughn, Royce Freeman, and rookie Nathaniel Peat—offers no real obstacle if an early-down hammer is needed. With Dallas ranking top-10 in red-zone rush rate the past three years, Warner sees a clear touchdown pathway should Dowdle resurface as Jerry Jones’s inevitable post-camp signing. Because Dowdle often goes undrafted, Warner recommended scooping him as a final-round lottery ticket in every best-ball portfolio.