It’s fair to say Cowboys Nation didn’t exactly erupt in jubilation when Dallas signed receiver Jalen Moreno Cropper as an undrafted free agent (UDFA) this past spring. On paper, the Cowboys receiver hierarchy was already relatively stacked. CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup were virtual locks at the top half of the depth chart and young players like Jalen Tolbert, Simi Fehoko and Jalen Brooks had an inside track on the bottom half because of their draft status.
Together with Pro Bowler return man KaVontae Turpin, the Cowboys had seven players more pedigreed than Moreno-Cropper, making a push for the 53-man roster an uphill battle for the Fresno State product. It wasn’t an indictment on Moreno-Cropper as a prospect, it’s just the situation in Dallas just wasn’t brimming with opportunity. But as fellow UDFA Dennis Houston showed everyone just a season ago, anything can happen when training camp begins.
Moreno-Cropper, 5-foot-11, 172-pounds, didn’t sign with the Cowboys as a nobody. He finished fifth in school history in receptions after being one of Fresno State’s highest recruited players.
Jalen Moreno-Cropper was quietly one of the more productive WR prospects over the middle. With a 7.7 YAC/Rec, a 108.9 passer rating when targeted & a staggering 3.26 YPRR he gives the Cowboys just what they need in the middle of the field. It’s no surprise he’s flashing in camp pic.twitter.com/iIqdfPTXcZ
— Reid D Hanson (@ReidDHanson) July 29, 2023
His ability to catch the ball in small windows and create yards after the catch with ease made him one of the better West Coast WR prospects in the class. While Moreno-Cropper played both slot and X in college, his play style and size peg him more as a slot player in the NFL.
The Cowboys were likely drawn to his ability to be an impact player over the middle and collect yards after the catch – two areas they plan to improve on in 2023.
In training camp, Moreno-Cropper appears to be every bit as fast as his clocked 4.40 40-speed indicates. He’s been a flashing star both on the short inside routes as well as downfield. He’s shown the ability to go get balls outside his natural catch radius and is packaging big plays with consistency in practices.
Jalen Moreno-Cropper making his presence felt on day one. 👀
There’s more than a few people in & around the team that are quietly high on the young WR out of Fresno State.#CowboysNation pic.twitter.com/2I5EkF84MY
— Tony Catalina (@Tony_Catalina) July 27, 2023
Like may teams, the Cowboys are facing a numbers crunch at WR. With more viable players than roster spots, every day in training camp matters to someone like Moreno-Cropper. He has to show he’s a more capable option than drafted players, and that’s no small hill to climb over the next few weeks.
But early returns indicate he’s doing what he needs to do to keep his dreams alive and eventually change his dark horse status into true challenger status.
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