Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster prediction: Wide Receiver

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There’s one more preseason game left before the Dallas Cowboys have to start making tough decisions as they figure out their 53-man roster.

While many of the starting positions are set, the Cowboys depth chart is far from finalized.

There are also a few positions that feel extra crowded.

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One of those is wide receiver. Here we attempt to predict which wideouts make the cut.

We assume CeeDee Lamb will be under contract (fingers crossed) and go with six total.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Getting CeeDee Lamb signed should be priority No. 1 for Jerry Jones and the Dallas front office. He set the franchise record in receiving yardage last year while leading the NFL in receptions. He’s one of the top wideouts in the game right now and the longer he stays away, the worse this looks for the Cowboys.

Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks

Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Brandin Cooks is a solid No. 2 option but the drop off from Lamb to Cooks is significant. The veteran deserves praise for helping the young corps throughout the offseason but he can’t replace Lamb’s game-changing talent.

Jalen Tolbert

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Jalen Tolbert won’t be handed anything. The third-round pick from 2022 has shown progress in camp but also had to fight off some young talent.

In the end, he wins the WR3 job but there could be a committee approach to get others involved.

Jalen Brooks

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Brooks

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Brooks / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

It’s hard to find anyone who has shown as much progress over the offseason as Jalen Brooks. The Cowboys liked his size coming out of South Carolina and used a seventh-round pick to give him a shot. He was used sparingly as a rookie but is a far more refined route runner this year.

Don’t be surprised to see him on the field often.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

An explosive return man, KaVontae Turpin has done enough to warrant more time on offense. He delivered in spurts last season and could have more packages this year.

Not every play turns into a home run but his game-breaking speed is enough to keep any defense honest.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy / Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Keep your eye on Ryan Flournoy. The rookie sixth-round pick had a forgettable debut but more than made up for it against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2 of the preseason.

He’s generated a lot of buzz throughout camp and while the wide receiver depth is solid in Dallas, it’s going to be hard to keep Flournoy off the field.

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