What are the chances rookie CeeDee Lamb eclipses 1,000 yards?
What are the chances Dallas Cowboys rookie CeeDee Lamb eclipses 1,000 yards?
The 2020 NFL Draft saw the Dallas Cowboys get a very pleasant surprise in the first round. Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, whom some believed was the best wideout in the draft, fell to Dallas at pick No. 17.
Lamb joins an already dominant passing attack that featured two receivers that eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark, and a quarterback that almost reached 5,000 yards. What are the chances that CeeDee passes that mark in his rookie season?
The Three Musketeers
Many different things can factor into a player’s success. Having a great surrounding cast is one of the more obvious things.
The Cowboys have two reigning 1,000-yard receivers in Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. They are both good enough to garner a good amount of attention, which means Lamb should have more one-on-one opportunities or snaps against weaker cornerbacks.
Even if opposing teams begin to focus on Lamb, I wouldn’t be worried. Gallup and Cooper will show them you can’t focus on any one receiver, and open things up again.
It is very good for Lamb, who is looked at as a great pass-catcher, to get those one-on-one opportunities, especially in the endzone. While Lamb is coming off back-to-back 10+ touchdown seasons at Oklahoma, Gallup and Cooper have yet to eclipse that mark in the NFL.
Gallup played only two seasons in the NFL so far, and Cooper just finished his fifth. Both receivers had a career-high for touchdowns scored with Gallup scoring six times and Cooper scoring eight times.
Maybe Lamb will operate in a similar fashion that former Cowboy Dez Bryant did in the end zone? Those looks will give Lamb extra opportunities for five to 10-yard plays.
In the middle of the field, Lamb will enjoy the open space. His success with returning punts shows he can make plays even after he catches the ball.
Dallas was not too far from having three 1,000-yard receivers last season, with Randall Cobb having 828 yards. Who’s to say Lamb can’t step up and play better than the aging Cobb?
Any worries about the share of the ball should be forgotten. If the Cowboys almost did it last season, the ball share should not stop them this season.