The rich history of Dallas Cowboys wide receivers is well-documented. From the No. 88 being passed like a baton to a Hail Mary that changed how we view an end-of-game pass, Cowboys pass catchers have made a profound impact on the NFL over the years.
While the list of stars is lengthy, finding the five best to wear the star is a tough exercise. Let’s look at the best wide receivers in Cowboys history.
Best Dallas Cowboys Wide Receivers of All Time
Throughout Dallas’ iconic history, you see Hall of Fame players at nearly every position. Coaches and quarterbacks have changed the course of the game and made impacts that will not soon be forgotten.
However, despite the vast star power that encompasses America’s Team, there may not have been a group over the years with more big names than its wide receivers. Through each decade of the NFL, there has seemingly been a Cowboys star WR to match.
Here are Dallas’ five best wide receivers of all time!
5) Bob Hayes
This list wouldn’t be right without including “Bullet Bob” Hayes. The former Olympic gold medal sprinter turned Cowboys wide receiver was as impressive of an athlete as you will see in the NFL.
Hayes is the only athlete to win an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl title, putting his résumé against anyone. He was a three-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro, and will forever be immortalized in Canton as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Good opportunity to post some "Bullet" Bob Hayes highlights https://t.co/N1D6kz48ll pic.twitter.com/fRW7AbBdeD
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) March 9, 2024
Bullet Bob spent 10 of his 11 seasons with the Cowboys and finished his career with 371 receptions, 7,414 yards, and 71 touchdowns. Considering his time in the NFL came during the mid-1960s into the 1970s and the way the passing game was not yet revolutionized like it is today, his numbers seem almost astronomical.
4) CeeDee Lamb
The rest of CeeDee Lamb’s career is still being written, but to be the only active player to crack this list, his start had to be impressive. Lamb is well on his way to being at the top of the list, with a start to a career that would rival anyone that has come before him.
Through four NFL seasons, Lamb has tallied 395 receptions, 5,145 yards, and 32 touchdowns. He’s also had over 70 receptions in each season and 1,000 yards in three of those four years.
Lamb has become Dak Prescott’s most trusted target and is beginning to blossom into the best version of himself. With years ahead of him and already an impressive track record, Lamb has a chance to be at the top of this list when his career is over.
3) Drew Pearson
For whatever reason, Drew Pearson doesn’t get the respect he deserves when it comes to mentioning the great wide receivers of the Cowboys’ past. The three-time All-Pro, three-time Pro Bowler, and Pro Football Hall of Famer sits comfortably within the top three WRs in Dallas’ history.
Pearson played his entire 11-year NFL career with the Cowboys, where he won a championship in Super Bowl 12. In addition to a ring, he was named to the Hall of Fame’s 1970s All-Decade Team.
Despite all of the accolades and notoriety Pearson has earned in his career, he’s probably most known for his role in the famous “Hail Mary” play that changed the way the football world viewed a long end-of-game touchdown pass.
Today in 1975, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach throws a legendary 50-yard winning touchdown pass to Drew Pearson to defeat the Minnesota Vikings, and the "Hail Mary" play is born. pic.twitter.com/gZZhaMZAXs
— Texas Sports History (@TXSportsHistory) December 28, 2023
Cowboys QB Roger Staubach and Pearson willed Dallas to a playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings on the play. When asked about it after the game, Staubach offered a phrase that changed the vernacular of the NFL forever.
“I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary,” said Staubach. The rest was history.
2) Dez Bryant
Dez Bryant doesn’t have nearly the same résumé as some of the players on this list, but what you cannot overstate is just how truly dominant he was during his time in Dallas. Bryant’s eight-year run with the Cowboys was sensational in every way, and when he got his hands on the football, there was a chance to score every time.
Bryant finished with 531 receptions, 7,459 yards, and 73 touchdowns during his time in Dallas, but more so than the stats was the impact on the field. He had the speed to run away from defenders and the strength to run them over.
When he was at the top of his game, few in the NFL struck fear in a cornerback more than Bryant did. Double teams, bracketed coverage, or even a three-man shell are all examples of how Bryant was guarded during his prime. One way they would rarely attempt was with single coverage.
For those reasons, the three-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro is No. 2 on the Cowboys’ list of greatest wide receivers.
1) Michael Irvin
No. 1 belongs to The Playmaker himself, Michael Irvin. Sitting atop the throne of Cowboys, it wasn’t a tough decision to make.
The best of the “88 Club” finished his career with three Super Bowl titles, five Pro Bowls, and one All-Pro. Irvin is a member of the Hall of Fame and the Hall of Fame’s 1990s All-Decade Team.
The combination of Irvin and QB Troy Aikman was a huge reason for Dallas being the team of the 90s, and at times, the combo seemed unstoppable. Irvin spent his entire 12-year career with the Cowboys and finished with 750 receptions, 11,904 yards, and 65 touchdowns.
Michael Irvin (THE PLAYMAKER) cowboy career highlights part 1 https://t.co/sXoij3NvQE pic.twitter.com/QPkoiPfnyQ
— SPEEDYEAGLE2.25 (@Sonic47864084) February 27, 2023
To this day, Irvin is the pinnacle of excellence for the Dallas WRs that come after him and is the main reason why the honor of wearing No. 88 is held in such high regard.
When you’re talking about the best Cowboys receivers of all time, it unquestionably starts here.
