Unknown receiver Dallas Cowboys most improved player?

Unheralded out of college, can this relative unknown find a way to crack the uber-talented Dallas Cowboys’ roster at wide receiver?

One of the hardest positional groups to crack on the Dallas Cowboys‘ roster in 2019 is going to be at wide receiver. It’s an area the Cowboys have addressed in the draft, through trades and free agency over the past two seasons. And it appears many of the open spots on the projected final depth chart have been taken. But there is always room for a surprise standout.

And the Cowboys have had an early standout through OTAs. That being third-year wide receiver Reggie Davis. Undrafted out of Georgia in 2017, Davis left college with little fanfare. His senior season with the Bulldogs, he posted just nine receptions for 111 yards. Davis recorded a total of 38 catches for 618 yards and two touchdowns during his entire four-year collegiate career.

The 6-foot, 170-pound receiver would seem to be an unlikely candidate to become an NFL player. But Davis posted a reported 4.31 forty yard dash time during his Georgia pro day. And the undrafted rookie was signed by the Atlanta Falcons, spending much of the last two years with them. Davis also had short stints with the Cleveland Browns and the Philadelphia Eagles before landing on the Cowboys practice squad last November.

During his first stint in Atlanta, Davis posted an impressive preseason in 2017. He racked up eight receptions for 126 yards in four contests with the Falcons including this 44-yard catch against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Dallas signed Davis to a futures contract in February. And the speedster’s improved play has been a bright spot for the team so far this offseason. Cowboys wide receiver coach Sanjay Lal told Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News that Davis was probably the most improved guy on the entire team.

"“[Davis] made a big jump this week. He’s really understanding how to use his speed. He’s always been fast, but how to truly use it. How to stop better, how to set up DBs, he’s doing a great job. And he’s finishing plays with catches.”"

The 23-year old certainly faces an uphill battle to make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster. The team’s wide receiver depth chart is currently jam-packed with 12 players. And Dallas isn’t expected to keep more than half of them. That includes receivers such as Amari Cooper, Randall Cobb, Michael Gallup, Allen Hurns, Tavon Austin, and several others.

If Reggie Davis is going to make the Dallas Cowboys active roster, he’ll need to keep trending upwards and post a terrific performance throughout training camp and in the preseason. But his speed makes him an intriguing player to watch as the Cowboys are in desperate need of a deep threat who can take the top off of opposing defenses.