Why Cowboys fans should be excited about CeeDee Lamb

The Dallas Cowboys landed one of the 2020 NFL Draft’s biggest steals in Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb

Any time that a team takes a highly rated skill player, it’s a sexy pick, and the Dallas Cowboys taking CeeDee Lamb is no exception to that rule.

Landing a top-10 prospect at No. 17 was one of the bigger steals in the 2020 NFL Draft class. Lamb put up some ridiculous numbers at Oklahoma, and he should have ample opportunity to do the same under Cowboys coaches Mike McCarthy and Kellen Moore.

Lamb is coming into a near-perfect situation with the Cowboys, as he isn’t being asked to be “the guy.” More often than not, when a wide receiver is taken early in the first round, they are coming into a situation where the team needs a top-tier playmaker for the offense. With Dallas, Lamb will get his opportunities, but he joins a team with a perennial 1,000-yard rusher in Ezekiel Elliott, and two receivers who finished with 1,000 yards and six-plus touchdowns in Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup.

This essentially alleviates most of the pressure to perform immediately for the Lamb. He will be asked to move around from slot receiver to outside at times, as they can play with his position on the field. In today’s NFL that is geared more towards the passing game, Lamb can help create matchups that will benefit the entire offense.

With the loss of Randall Cobb to the Houston Texans, look for Lamb to replace the production lost due to free agency. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility for him to have a 55 receptions, 828 yards and three touchdowns year like Cobb did. However, given how dynamic of a playmaker Lamb is, he could easily pass those numbers up on his way to chasing down the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

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2020 NFL Draft: Dallas Cowboys team preview

Everything Dallas Cowboys fans need to know heading into the 2020 NFL Draft.

VITALS

Head Coach: Mike McCarthy

General Manager: Jerry Jones

2019 Record: 8-8

2020 DRAFT PICKS

1 (17)

2 (51)

3 (82)

4 (123)

5 (164)

5 (179, compensatory)

7 (231)

TEAM NEEDS

Secondary

Without question one of the top needs for the Dallas Cowboys is in the secondary. The Cowboys lost their top cornerback Byron Jones to the Dolphins in free agency and don’t have the depth to fill his role. The team has signed two cornerbacks but neither of which is viewed as a replacement for Jones. Dallas will need to address cornerback in the early part of the draft.

Not only do the Cowboys need help at cornerback but safety. A position they have not address early on in the draft since they selected Roy Williams out of Oklahoma in the 2002 draft. Dallas did sign HaHa Clinton-Dix but he is a short-term answer to a long-term question.

Defensive Line

Knowing there were holes in the middle of the defense, the Cowboys added both Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe from the Carolina Panthers during free agency. The Cowboys lost their starting three technique tackle in Maliek Collins who left to Las Vegas. The Cowboys needed a presence in the middle which they are likely to get with McCoy and Poe but they need to look to the future. Javon Kinlaw would fit in nicely if he is able to slide to 17.

Wide Receiver

With the departure of Randall Cobb to Houston, the Cowboys find themselves short of a starting receiver next to Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. The depth beyond the duo leaves a lot to be desired with Noah Brown and Cedrick Wilson. Both have been injured for the better part of the last two seasons. Wilson shows promise but they need a guy that can be relied on. Dez Bryant could be an option if the team chooses to go that route but they still need another young talented player. Good thing for Dallas is that this draft is full of receivers.

TOP TARGETS

Javon Kinlaw | DL | South Carolina

K’Lavon Chaisson | EDGE | LSU

C.J. Henderson | CB | Florida

Henry Ruggs III | WR | Alabama

Trevon Diggs | CB | Alabama

Xavier McKinney | S | Alabama

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Dallas Cowboys: Top 2020 NFL draft needs

The Dallas Cowboys have plenty of holes in their roster on both sides of the ball, so we break down the biggest ones

The Dallas Cowboys’ 2019 NFL season has been one of disappointment and inconsistency.

They are currently on pace to finish what should be the final season of the Jason Garrett era the way it started, with a 8-8 record. Sunday’s debacle proved that the Cowboys team is in desperate need of a few playmakers on both sides of the ball.

Offense

Tight End

Drops seem to have been the theme of the season, in fact Dallas’ top four receivers on the team have accounted for 24 total drops. It wasn’t just Amari Cooper who has been listed as the player who has led the league in drops since 2015. Cooper has the least amount of drops of the top four.

Michael Gallup (8), Randall Cobb (7) and Jason Witten (5) have been worse. The Cowboys need to find some reliability at the position.

For what feels like the fifth or sixth draft in a row the Cowboys need to find a tight end who can stretch the field. Hunter Bryant of Washington should be a player of interest.

The Cowboys do have Blake Jarwin but for whatever reason the Cowboys staff doesn’t seem to trust him in the passing game despite the fact that he averages more than a first down every two catches. He was targeted just once against Philadelphia which was a catch and first down.

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