The Dallas Cowboys boast one of the NFL’s best wide receivers in CeeDee Lamb, but outside of Brandin Cooks, the Cowboys don’t have a whole lot behind him.
Heck, even Cooks is questionable heading into 2024, as he had a rather disappointing debut campaign in Dallas last season. The Cowboys also released fellow wide out Michael Gallup earlier this offseason, as he simply was no longer the same after the torn ACL he suffered a few years back.
This has created a rather significant problem for Dallas, as the team currently does not have a legitimate No. 3 receiver penciled on its depth chart.
However, the Cowboys may be finding some answers this summer.
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks looked impressive in the team’s mandatory minicamp and will both be vying for the No. 3 role in training camp next month.
Jalen Tolbert probably holds the edge
You have to think that Tolbert holds the edge over Brooks at the moment.
While the Cowboys took Brooks in the seventh round of the NFL Draft last year, they made Tolbert a third-round selection back in 2022.
Tolbert has also gotten a bit more burn than Brooks. Brooks logged six catches for 64 yards in 2023. Meanwhile, Tolbert caught 22 passes for 268 yards and a couple of touchdowns.
The 25-year-old put together a handful of decent games last season, with his best performance coming in Week 4 when he totaled four receptions for 53 yards in a win over the New England Patriots.
Dallas is banking on one of these two wide outs to emerge and grab hold of a spot on the depth chart over the next several months.
The Cowboys had one of the league’s most explosive offenses this past year, but it will certainly be difficult to replicate that with such little depth at wide receiver.
Of course, Dallas can probably get by based on the strength of the Dak Prescott-to-Lamb connection alone, but it never hurts to have help.
It should be noted that tight end Jake Ferguson broke out in 2023, so even if Tolbert or Brooks can’t really answer the bell for the Cowboys, Ferguson, at the very least, should provide Prescott with a reliable target in lieu of a No. 3 receiver.
We’ll see if Tolbert or Brooks can make a statement as the summer progresses.
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