Dallas Cowboys 2018 draft target: Wide Receiver Christian Kirk
With wide receiver being a clear position the Dallas Cowboys must upgrade this season. Could Texas A&M’s Christian Kirk be a potential target?
When the NFL Draft comes around in April, the Dallas Cowboys will be in a position to upgrade their wire receiver corps, which underperformed greatly this past season.
Christian Kirk, a wide receiver from Texas A&M, could be an option for the Cowboys with one of their first two picks in the draft.
Kirk measures in at 5’11 and 200 lbs, and is 21 years of age.
In his Junior year at A&M, Kirk hauled in 71 catches, for a total of 919 yard, and 10 touchdowns. In his entire collegiate career, Kirk scored 26 touchdowns in 39 games, and tallied almost 3,000 yards of total receiving.
The 21 year old wide receiver also is a big threat in the kicking game, as he returned one kick, and a remarkable six punts for touchdowns in his college career. Kirk was #1 in the S.E.C. in punt return yards per return in 2016, averaging 21 yards per return.
Kirk’s biggest strength is his speed, which is something Dallas desperately could use in their passing offense. At A&M, Kirk ran many screen and sweep plays, which were able to show off his impressive speed.
This speed could help Dallas’s offense greatly, and could allow them to run some easy screen passes. This would help quarterback Dak Prescott get the ball out of his hands quick, and let Kirk make people miss.
Some more strengths for Kirk are his big play ability, all around explosiveness, and his constant threat in the return game. His great speed allows him to constantly be a big play threat at any time on the field, and would help Dallas make vertical deep plays down the field in the passing game.
Kirk does not have great size, which may affect his ability to separate off the line against bump and run man coverage.
Although it is typical for number one wide receivers in the NFL to be bigger than 5″11, some of the best receivers in the game at the moment, Odell Beckham Jr, Antonio Brown, and T.Y. Hilton, are all around the same size as Kirk.
If Kirk is available for the Cowboys at one of their first or second round picks, he could be an outstanding addition to the offense. Drafting Kirk would give Dak Prescott a great weapon on the outside, and also most likely help Dez Bryant face less double teams, and tough matchups.
Next: Cowboys 2018 NFL Draft - Positions off limits in 1st round
If the Dallas Cowboys want an explosive, constant big play threat on their offense, Christian Kirk would be a great pick in the first or second round.