Sweet 16: Cowboys offensive skill player roster prediction
By Riley Donald
Wide Receivers
2020 (6): Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Noah Brown, Malik Turner
2021 Prediction (6): Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Malik Turner, Simi Fehoko
The top three WRs in Cooper, Gallup, and Lamb don’t have any reason to wonder where they sit on the roster. Those three will get their catches and perform well. I would also go as far as saying Cedrick Wilson Jr. is a lock at this point. His performance has been incredibly steady and a great depth piece for the Cowboys.
The question is if the Dallas Cowboys carry five or six wide receivers. I think they go six for two reasons. First, the Cowboys know injuries can ruin a season quickly, and while they hope to stay 100% healthy all year, that may be a bit naïve. Cooper has an injury history and is still recovering from an ankle injury.
Secondly, the NFL is a pass-happy league and if a team can carry one extra weapon in the passing game, it seems that is the choice. The final two spots are up for grabs between about four or five guys. I think Malik Turner, albeit a fumble in the Hall of Fame game, showed flashes and has given some confidence he can secure the fifth wide receiver spot.
The final wide receiver spot, in my mind, comes down to Simi Fehoko, Brandon Smith, and Johnnie Dixon. Fehoko was the only of the three to be drafted which could give him an inside track. His big body and catch radius are great red-zone threats.
I believe that Fehoko is the final wide receiver the Cowboys carry on their roster week one. He won’t be given this spot, though, as two other wide receivers are fighting to make the roster.
Brandon Smith is not overly fast or big, but he has quite an innate ability to get open and find a way to catch passes. His skill set is not that different than Fehoko’s so Smith may be an intriguing roster add or hidden gem stashed on the practice squad. Being an Iowa Hawkeye, he is one guy I won’t count out of the fight until it is over.
Johnnie Dixon is a name I’ve been hearing rumblings from camp that he has begun returning some punts and being a steady set of hands back there can be an invaluable asset. He was signed after bouncing around a few NFL teams. His chance to make the roster may come from continued production and ability in the punt return game, but ultimately, a likely spot will be the practice squad as it would be difficult to keep solely a punt return specialist.