The Cowboys have one of the better receiving corps in the NFL headlined by Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup. Or had. In 2021, all three missed time at some point due to either injury or COVID protocols. For most teams that would be a crippling thing to deal with. However, the Cowboys still managed to produce the league’s top offense in points and yards because they had a secret weapon to pick up the slack.
Cedrick Wilson finished with 45 receptions for 602 yards and six yards touchdowns this season, which nearly tripled his totals in all three categories in 2020. Also, his 13.4 yards per catch was second on the Cowboys to the aforementioned Lamb (13.9). Each season, every team has a player who goes beyond what he’s expected to do. NFL.com writer Nick Shook compiled a list of unsung heroes from each NFC team for 2021. After a career year, Wilson was selected for this distinction in Dallas.
Shook on Wilson’s season:
“An overlooked receiver in a star-laden offense, Wilson grabbed his opportunities with a vise grip, catching 45 of his 61 targets for 602 yards and six touchdowns and twice breaking 100 receiving yards in front of national audiences. The first time — Dallas’ heartbreaking 36-33 loss on Thanksgiving day to the Las Vegas Raiders — he hauled in seven passes for 104 yards, and the second time — a Saturday night blowout win over Philadelphia — he led all pass-catchers with 119 yards and two touchdowns on five grabs. He didn’t get a ton of attention from opposing defenses due to the presence of Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, but when he was asked to fill in for them, Wilson followed through. He posted a catch rate over expected of +18.6 percent on targets of 10-plus air yards, the third-highest mark in the NFL (min. 20 such targets). Wilson is headed to free agency and is likely to find a new home (and a pay increase) with a team looking for a receiver who can contribute when called upon.”
The 2018 sixth-round draft pick had a rough start to his career. Wilson suffered a torn labrum during training camp of his rookie campaign and was placed on injured reserve. After being released in August of 2019, Wilson was signed to the practice squad in early September and added to the active roster a few weeks later.
He appeared in six games but only registered five receptions for 46 yards before being placed on injured reserve that December due to a knee injury. In 2020, Wilson only tallied 17 receptions for 189 yards but 107 of them as well as two touchdowns came in a Week 3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and the rumblings of could he be a significant part of the Cowboys’ offense began. He also became the Cowboys trick-play artist, throwing a touchdown pass to Dak Prescott in Week 5 and also being involved in multiple special teams plays.
The 2021 season was the perfect time for Wilson to rise to the occasion seeing as he was in a contract year. His performance showed that he could be trusted to handle a heavy load if need be.
With Gallup also headed for free agency and Cooper’s future uncertain due to his $20 million a year salary, Wilson made a strong case to be retained in 2022, especially seeing as his price tag will be smaller.
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