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New York Jets running back Isaiah Davis getting himself ready before an NFL game against the Atlanta Falcons.
A New York Jets player is being overlooked ahead of training camp.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini explained why running back Isaiah Davis deserves more of your attention as we get ready for the 2026 season.
“The player that nobody talks about, who this coaching staff is very high on, is Isaiah Davis. I mean, when he got in there last year, Isaiah Davis did some good things. I think everyone is assuming that Braelon Allen is gonna win the No. 2 running back job because he’s got the biggest biceps and he looks like Hercules, but that’s not exactly the case,” Cimini said on the “Jets Collective” podcast.
“There will be a battle there for that. Now all three guys are going to play, obviously, but don’t sleep on Isaiah Davis. He can do a lot of different things, and he can catch the ball, and he could be a third-down back as well,” Cimini added.
It’s Easy to Overlook Davis
Head coach Aaron Glenn has kept calling this backfield a “three-headed monster” during the past two offseasons.
Breece Hall got the franchise tag and then shortly after a record-breaking contract extension that made him one of the top-five highest-paid running backs in the NFL, per Over The Cap.
Davis, 24, entered the league as the No. 173 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft. Interestingly, his teammate Allen was selected 39 spots higher in that same draft by the Jets at No. 134 overall in the fourth round.
Obviously, the Jets liked Allen better than Davis because they drafted him higher. So Davis has been viewed as the third wheel in this relationship for a while.
Davis has two years left on his $4.2 million rookie contract. He hasn’t started a game in his career, but he has appeared in 33 contests. When Davis has been given opportunities, he has made the most of them.
The former South Dakota State product has registered 671 yards from scrimmage, has scored three total touchdowns, and has averaged 6.5 scrimmage yards per touch.
Some Wind Is Blowing in That Direction
Cimini cautioned that this RB2 battle isn’t over yet. Michael Nania of Jets X-Factor predicted that Davis would beat out Allen for that role in training camp.
Add Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic to that group.
“This isn’t so much a ‘competition’ like the others on this list since both backs will get opportunities to play. However, I will be interested to see who falls second in the pecking order behind Hall once the season starts,” Rosenblatt wrote. “Allen was a summer star in each of his first two NFL seasons, though that hasn’t translated to the regular season. He looked like he was starting to build some momentum last season before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 4, but he’s completely healthy now and (according to him) stronger and faster than ever.”
“Davis isn’t a flashy player, and he’s not as big or strong as Allen, so their skill sets will be applied differently. However, Davis seems to get the job done when given the opportunity. He’s averaged 5.6 yards on 73 career carries and caught 30 of 40 passes thrown his way,” Rosenblatt added.
Rosenblatt called Davis the “early favorite” to win the RB2 gig over Allen this offseason.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
