Grading the Dallas Cowboys top rookies of the 2020 season
By Connor Green
How did the Dallas Cowboys’ top rookies make out in 2020?
The Dallas Cowboys were officially eliminated from playoff contention with a heartbreaking loss to the New York Giants. This season has been filled with disappointing moments and sloppy play from America’s Team. However, the teams’ top rookies gave fans of Dallas something to root for this year.
The Cowboys got inspiring performances from several of their rookies throughout the season as they showed real potential during an otherwise difficult year. Some of these rookies started the 2020 campaign in the starting lineup while others got playing time due to either injuries or poor play from players ahead of them on the depth chart.
Not all of the organizations’ rookies can sufficiently be graded due to their lack of playing time (edge rusher Bradlee Anae) or their irrelevance to the franchise moving forward (quarterback Ben DiNucci). However, there are several members of the 2020 draft class who made significant contributions to the team.
Here are the definitive (kidding!) grades for the top rookies in the Dallas Cowboys 2020 Draft class.
CeeDee Lamb, Wide Receiver
The Dallas Cowboys were very fortunate that Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb fell to them at the 17th pick. Fans and analysts alike were delighted with the selection of one of the highest graded receivers in the 2020 draft class. The 21-year old receiver quickly proved those people right during his stellar rookie campaign.
During Lamb’s first four career games the young receiver managed to haul in an astonishing 21 catches and three receiving touchdowns. Even after the devastating, season-ending injury of Dallas’s starting quarterback Dak Prescott the young rookie wideout continued to put up astronomical numbers.
The young wideout hauled in what was arguably the catch of the year against the Minnesota Vikings to tie the Hall of Fame wide receiver Bob Hayes for the franchise record for most receptions in a rookie season at 46. Later that game Lamb officially broke the record, it took him only ten games to do so.
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The Cowboy’s first-round draft pick became a human highlight-reel for much of the year and dazzled fans with his athleticism and toughness. He finished the season with an impressive 945 receiving yards, six total touchdowns, and 74 catches. Those marks allowed him to finish the year with the second-most receiving yards and receptions among Cowboys players and also allowed him to tie the team lead for receiving touchdowns with five.
The Dallas Cowboys seemingly found a gem in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. CeeDee Lamb’s combination of size, speed, and awareness should allow him to become an excellent receiver for America’s Team. The fact that he was able to post such an impressive rookie season despite the loss of Prescott bodes well for Lamb moving forward.