Meeting Cowboys No. 88 pick Jalen Tolbert: Strengths, Weaknesses, Fit

With the 88th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected South Alabama wide receiver Jalen Tolbert. With runs on receivers in the middle of the first and second rounds of the draft, the front office decided to hold off until a receiver fell to the Cowboys in the third, and boy was it worth it.

The team was expected to address the receiver position after trading away Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns and failing to retain Cedrick Wilson, who eventually signed a deal with the Miami Dolphins. As stated before, the board didn’t fall their way receiver-wise as six receivers were picked before the ‘Boys were on the clock at 24. After that, another seven were selected before they picked at 56.

Luckily for them, the receiver run stopped after that. Only one was selected between No. 56 and their next pick at No. 88. This was the perfect opportunity to pounce on any remaining falling receivers. The Cowboys took advantage and selected Tolbert, who had connections to the Cowboys prior to the draft.

This phone call alone already makes me excited about Tolbert. Prescott sees something in him, and they established a connection before they were even teammates. I will be highlighting what the South Alabama star brings to the table in terms of his strengths, weaknesses, and fit, but first, let’s get to know the 88th pick.

Get to know third-round pick Jalen Tolbert’s background, strengths, weaknesses, and fit with the Cowboys

Jalen Tolbert was regarded as a two-star prospect coming out of McGill Toolen High School. He had twelve offers, including offers from South Alabama, Michigan State, Ball State, Jackson State, and Vanderbilt. Tolbert was a dual-sport athlete in football and baseball in high school and wanted to play both in college as well. The third-round draft pick was expected to choose Michigan State as his collegiate team but opted for South Alabama due to the MSU staff not wanting Tolbert to play baseball and football.

In his first season at South Alabama, Tolbert didn’t get much run, recording just five catches for 60 yards. He received an expanded role in 2019 as a sophomore, hauling in 24 receptions for 521 yards and six touchdowns. In his junior season, he flourished in his role as WR1. Tolbert finished the season with 64 catches, 1085 yards, and eight touchdowns. He ranked in each category for the Sun Belt Conference, finishing third in receptions, second in yards, and fourth in touchdowns. He was also seventh in the entire country in yards.

Tolbert broke out in 2021 even more, racking up 1,474 yards and eight touchdowns on a conference-leading 82 receptions. He was awarded the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year and led the conference in multiple categories including receptions, receiving yards, and yards per catch. He finished his collegiate career with conference ranks in yards per catch (1st), receiving yards (3rd), receiving touchdowns (9th), and catches (17th).

At the NFL Combine, the South Alabama receiver ran a 4.49 40-yard dash. He also recorded a 36-inch vertical jump and a 10’3″ broad jump.