Dallas Cowboys: Why Michael Gallup will have a breakout year

After getting an entire rookie season under his belt, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup is ready to have a breakout 2019 season.

At this point last year, the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver group was arguably the weakest position group on their roster. Dallas had no true number one wideout and believed they could succeed with a committee of guys helping carry the load.

Fast forward to today and things are completely different. Dallas, of course, went out last season and traded their 2019 first-round pick for All-Pro wideout Amari Cooper, giving the Cowboys a true number one wide receiver for years to come. Dallas also went out in free agency and replaced longtime slot man Cole Beasley with veteran Randall Cobb.

If healthy, Cobb can be just as productive if not more so than Beasley was, and has much more versatility. He can lineup anywhere on the field, which with Beasley was not the case.

Cooper and Cobb are the two big-name receivers on the Cowboys roster this season, but I believe second-year man Michael Gallup is going to have a breakout year. In his rookie season Gallup had a solid campaign. He caught 33 balls for 507 yards, two touchdowns and a 15.36 yards per reception average.

Gallup started off his rookie year very slow, catching just seven passes in his first six games. At this time the Cowboys offense, especially their passing game, was really struggling, and Gallup was unable to produce to the level the Cowboys needed him to. Once Dallas made the trade and acquired Cooper, Gallup’s production began to increase greatly.

From Week Eight to Week Thirteen the Colorado State product had multiple receptions in all but one game, totaling 17 catches in six games. In the final two weeks of the regular season, Gallup had six catches for 103 yards and scored one of his two touchdowns on the year. The most impressive thing about his rookie season may be the production he posted in the playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams. Gallup had his best game stat-wise of the season, recording six catches for 119 yards, leading all players in the game in receiving yards.

While his numbers post-Cooper won’t blow you away, it is clear once Amari was in the fold it sparked an increase in Gallup’s production. Having Cooper once again on the outside will help him see more single coverage this season, and Cobb in the slot will demand attention as well.

While he may not ever be a true number one receiver, the Dallas Cowboys don’t need him to be. Michael Gallup will see lots of single man coverage this season and has the explosiveness to make teams pay for this. He can be a solid number two receiver and deep threat in the Dallas offense, and with teams game planning to stop Amari Cooper this year, look for a breakout year from No. 13.