With the Dallas Cowboys facing the Los Angeles Rams in the final preseason game of Week 1, none of the Cowboys’ starters will play — including superstar CeeDee Lamb, who is also holding out as a result of his contract. With Lamb out for the foreseeable future, how could it impact Dallas’ wide receiver depth?
Cowboys Wide Receiver Depth Chart
While Lamb is Dallas’ clear WR1, Brandin Cooks is the clear second option. A 10-year NFL vet entering his 11th season, Cooks has 9,273 career receiving yards. However, he hasn’t caught more than 700 yards in the last two seasons. He joined the Cowboys in 2023 and played in 16 games (starting 15 of them) and totaled 54 receptions for 657 yards and eight touchdowns.
Now in his second year in the system with quarterback Dak Prescott, Cooks will look to return to 1,000-yard form. In seven seasons, from 2015-2021, he had six seasons over 1,000 yards.
Behind Cooks, it gets a little bit more interesting.
Jalen Tolbert likely leads the pack, entering his third NFL season. Although he didn’t play much as a rookie, Tolbert had six starts and played in 17 games in 2023, catching 22 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns. He’ll need to improve those numbers, though, if he is to stay a significant contributor for Dallas.
KaVontae Turpin, the Cowboys’ primary returner, will also get a chance to contribute as a receiver, especially with Lamb out. After joining Dallas from a stint with the USFL, Turpin finally saw some offensive opportunities in 2023.
In those opportunities, he caught 12 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns. With more opportunities, Turpin could very well have a career season.
In terms of a rookie, Ryan Flournoy is the Cowboys’ youngest option. A 2024 sixth-round pick out of Southeast Missouri State, he was first-team All-OVC in 2022. Last year, he had 839 receiving yards and six touchdowns. His preseason performance will be key in determining what opportunities he receives at all.
Finally, the remaining two options are Jalen Brooks and Jalen Cropper. Brooks was a seventh-round rookie in 2023 and played in seven games, catching six passes for 64 yards.
Cropper, on the other hand, is in his second year out of Fresno State and has never recorded a regular-season snap.
