Will the Dallas Cowboys draft a wide receiver early?

With the Dallas Cowboys losing wide receiver Randall Cobb in free agency, they have a hole at wide receiver they could address early in the upcoming draft.

Heading into this offseason, the Dallas Cowboys seemed to have had much more pressing needs than adding a wide receiver. One of their positive takeaways from the 2019 season was the production from this group. Wide receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup each surpassed 1,000 receiving yards, with wide receiver Randall Cobb adding 800 receiving yards as well.

After bringing in his former head coach Mike McCarthy, it seemed likely Cobb would return to the Cowboys for this upcoming season. However, Cobb signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the instate rival Houston Texans. The Cowboys now are missing their slot receiver, and have a hole to fill in the depth chart.

Dallas had previously shown interest in veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders in free agency, hoping to add him in the slot for the upcoming season. Sanders ultimately chose the New Orleans Saints on a two-year $16 million deal. With little left available in the free agency market, the Cowboys could surprise people and select a wide receiver as early as the 17th pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

While the Cowboys still could use more support in the secondary and edge of the defense, they made moves this offseason that helped give insurance to other positions across the defense. They added veteran safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, veteran defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe, and brought in defensive end Aldon Smith on a “prove it” contract.

With the most pressing need on the defensive side of the ball now being cornerback, the Cowboys have the opportunity to go “best player available” at pick 17 if they do not like the cornerback options still on the board. With this being one of the deepest classes in recent memory at the wide receiver position, it is very likely the Cowboys could get an instant-impact player at the position.

With wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb headlining this class as the two best receivers, it may seem unlikely either could fall to pick 17 for the Cowboys. However, with this class being so deep at the position, and teams having more pressing needs, there could be a chance that either of these star prospects could drop far enough for the Cowboys to make a move. If either of these players did somehow make it to pick 17, it would be very hard for the Cowboys to justify not selecting him.

Jeudy put up an exceptional year at Alabama in 2019, accumulating 77 receptions, 1,163 receiving yards, and 10 receiving touchdowns. Lamb also made his impact known at Oklahoma this past season, attaining 1,327 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns on just 62 receptions. Another possible pick at 17, is wide receiver Henry Ruggs III from Alabama. Last season with the tide, the speedster had 40 receptions for 746 yards and 7 receiving touchdowns.

If the Cowboys do not like their options on the defensive side of the ball while on the clock in the upcoming draft, it may be beneficial to go with a high-profile wide receiver. If the Cowboys were to add another young playmaker in the receiving group, the Cowboys could solidify having one of the best offenses in the league for years to come.