The NFL Draft is finally upon us. Before the first round gets underway on April 24, let's recap what the Cowboys have done so far this offseason.
Whether it was re-signing their own players, adding new ones in free agency or making a few trades, the Cowboys were rather active in reshaping the roster under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
So let's take a closer look at what each position currently looks like, closing out our series with the wide receiver room.
What Happened: The lone external free agent signing at the wide receiver position this offseason was Parris Campbell, fresh off a Super Bowl LIX win with the Philadelphia Eagles. He agreed to a one-year deal with the Cowboys in March and immediately became the most experienced receiver in the room with seven NFL seasons under his belt. The Cowboys mark his fourth different team in the last four years, and he'll take on a depth role with great speed to work with. Speaking of great speed, the Cowboys re-signed KaVontae Turpin to a three-year deal worth up to $18 million following a first-team All-Pro campaign in 2024 as a kick returner. Turpin is still listed as a receiver, and his pay-day is an indication that Brian Schottenheimer and company may look to use him more as an all-around offensive weapon in 2025.
What's Up: CeeDee Lamb is expected to be fully healthy once again in 2025, and that will be paramount for the Cowboys receiving core. Even with an injured shoulder for a majority of the 2024 season, Lamb was far and away the best option for Dallas' offense and it wasn't particularly close. The question now is, who steps up alongside him? The Cowboys traded their fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to acquire Jonathan Mingo, who barely saw the field after he landed in Dallas last season. Could he emerge as the second option for Dallas with a full offseason to learn the scheme and get accustomed to playing with Dak Prescott? Then there's Jalen Tolbert, who led the Cowboys in receiving touchdowns last year with seven. Is that enough to make the team feel comfortable with him as the second option in the receiving game? Those are the important questions that the Cowboys will have to ask themselves as the first round of the NFL Draft approaches on Thursday.
What's Next: The answer to all those questions could come in the draft, with a lot of buzz around the Cowboys using their 12th overall pick on a wide receiver to help compliment CeeDee Lamb. Cowboys COO and co-owner Stephen Jones said as much at the NFL's league meetings, using the word "explosive" to define what they're looking for. With that description, some names come to mind. Could Texas' Matthew Golden, who ran a 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, be the explosive receiver they're looking for? Another player that represents a different kind of explosion is Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan, who uses his volleyball background and long arms to exhibit a ridiculous catch radius and would immediately become the Cowboys' most lethal downfield threat. Maybe Missouri's Luther Burden III or Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka are the targets, really all four have put enough on film to show potential to step into the Cowboys offense and be successful. The bottom line is, in all likelihood, the Cowboys will use a premium pick on the wide receiver position to try and get their offense to the next level.
