{"id":44669,"date":"2025-04-28T07:33:06","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T07:33:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44669"},"modified":"2025-04-28T07:33:06","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T07:33:06","slug":"the-dallas-cowboys-have-selected-clemson-rb-phil-mafah-with-the-239th-overall-pick-in-the-2025-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44669","title":{"rendered":"The Dallas Cowboys have selected Clemson RB Phil Mafah with the 239th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"dmnc_generic-header-header-module__c-cjR column small-12 xlarge-10 mt-9 mb-7\">\n<hgroup>\n<h2 class=\"dmnc_generic-header-header-module__sF01k secondaryRoman secondaryRoman-30 md_secondaryRoman-40 text-gray-dark\">Mafah was the second running back selected by Dallas on Day 3.<\/h2>\n<\/hgroup>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"dmnc_layouts-content-right-rail-with-gap-module__gezss row lg_justify-between lg_flex-nowrap\">\n<div class=\"dmnc_layouts-content-right-rail-with-gap-module__sZ7QP column small-12 large-expand xlarge-8\">\n<div class=\"dmnc_generic-article-byline-byline-module__4T6-C secondaryRoman secondaryRoman-20 text-black mb-9\">\n<div class=\"dmnc_generic-article-byline-byline-module__TFDC9 flex items-center pt-7\">\n<figure class=\"dmnc_images-featured-image-module__ASEZV border-b border-gray-light pb-3 mb-9\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"dmnc_images-modern-image-module__QFaG- max-w-full h-auto text-white dmnc_images-modern-image-module__9Zlll bg-gray-light object-contain dmnc_images-modern-image-module__P3kZ4 w-full\" src=\"https:\/\/dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com\/resizer\/v2\/2U3XAE3Z6PKFY24UJNE5M25ERE.jpg?auth=18c589dfca007726a6ea53df94fcc19d467665564b0d4049521f8a87aaa1da3c&amp;height=553&amp;width=830&amp;focal=1722,440&amp;quality=80\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1300px) 830px, (min-width: 768px) 66.66vw, (min-width: 480px) 100vw, 100px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com\/resizer\/v2\/2U3XAE3Z6PKFY24UJNE5M25ERE.jpg?auth=18c589dfca007726a6ea53df94fcc19d467665564b0d4049521f8a87aaa1da3c&amp;height=167&amp;width=250&amp;focal=1722,440&amp;quality=80 250w, https:\/\/dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com\/resizer\/v2\/2U3XAE3Z6PKFY24UJNE5M25ERE.jpg?auth=18c589dfca007726a6ea53df94fcc19d467665564b0d4049521f8a87aaa1da3c&amp;height=287&amp;width=430&amp;focal=1722,440&amp;quality=80 430w, https:\/\/dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com\/resizer\/v2\/2U3XAE3Z6PKFY24UJNE5M25ERE.jpg?auth=18c589dfca007726a6ea53df94fcc19d467665564b0d4049521f8a87aaa1da3c&amp;height=553&amp;width=830&amp;focal=1722,440&amp;quality=80 830w\" alt=\"Clemson running back Phil Mafah carries the ball up field during the first half against...\" width=\"830\" height=\"553\" \/><figcaption class=\"dmnc_images-image-elements-module__ku669 secondaryRoman secondaryRoman-10 mt-3 text-gray-medium\">Clemson running back Phil Mafah carries the ball up field during the first half against Texas in the first round of the College Football Playoff, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Austin, Texas.\u00a0<span class=\"dmnc_images-image-elements-module__7oO0P pl-1\">(Eric Gay \/ AP)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"dmnc_generic-share-bar-share-bar-module__C7Mzo flex flex-col md_flex-row md_items-center\">\n<div class=\"dmnc_social-icons-social-icons-module__QPbOU flex flex-wrap mb-8\">\n<div class=\"trinity-tts-icon-player-button-wrapper dmnc_features-trinity-ai-social-button-social-button-module__Ot3dS mr-3 my-auto\">\n<div class=\"trinity-player-iframe-wrapper\" data-player-id=\"7cb36b26e70bb66afe7d29d3c2a344f7\" data-state=\"not_initialized\" data-player-type=\"icon-expandable\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"layout\" data-template-id=\"default\">\n<div class=\"play-button\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dmnc_features-trinity-ai-media-player-trinity-ai-module__XuKhb mb-4\">\n<div class=\"trinity-tts-placeholder-icon-player\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body-text dmnc_features-article-body-body-module__Ldbl- mb-8 false\">\n<section>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">With the 239th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, the\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/sports\/cowboys\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/sports\/cowboys\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\">Da<\/a>llas Cowboys\u00a0selected Clemson running back Phil Mafah.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Mafah (6-1, 234 pounds) was the second running back selected by Dallas on Day 3. The team took\u00a0Texas\u2019 Jaydon Blue in the fifth round.\u00a0Shortly after he was drafted, Mafah told reporters his style would mix well with Blue\u2019s speed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">\u201cIt honestly reminds me of me and Will Shipley back at Clemson. We complimented each other,\u201d Mafah said. \u201cWe were both able to get the job done, but just being able to feed off each other, I felt like it made our offense explosive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Mafah used the term versatile to describe his playing style. He particularly mentioned how he enjoys catching the ball out of the backfield.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">According to\u00a0<i>The Athletic\u2019s<\/i>\u00a0Dane Brugler, Mafah was the 25th-best running back in this year\u2019s class. He finished the 2024 season with 216 carries for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Dallas acquired the 239th pick from Tennessee through an offseason trade for linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Mafah is the latest addition to what is now a crowded running back rotation in Dallas. Mafah and Blue join a group that includes Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, Hunter Luepke, Deuce Vaughn and Malik Davis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">Mafah admitted he isn\u2019t too familiar with Dallas\u2019 running back group, but he established a connection with running backs coach Derrick Foster through the pre-draft process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-text-paragraph\">\u201cI had a good amount of contact with the running back coach [Derrick Foster] and had a meeting with them at the [NFL] Combine,\u201d Mafah said. \u201cI had pretty great contact with the coach and the organization.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mafah was the second running back selected by Dallas on Day 3. Clemson running back Phil Mafah carries the ball up field during the first half against&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44672,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Dallas Cowboys have selected Clemson RB Phil Mafah with the 239th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft! - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44669\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Dallas Cowboys have selected Clemson RB Phil Mafah with the 239th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft! - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mafah was the second running back selected by Dallas on Day 3. 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