Predicting the Cowboys pass-catchers final statlines for 2022

A huge topic of conversation and overhaul for the Dallas Cowboys entering 2022 is their wide receiver room. Things moved quickly throughout the offseason when word got out that the team was going to move on from star receiver Amari Cooper. The front office eventually traded Cooper to the Cleveland Browns for a disappointing return of a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick swap.

After the trade, the team only had young star CeeDee Lamb and prospect Simi Fehoko under contract, due to Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson needing contract extensions. The team opted to hand out a hefty five-year, $57.5 million contract to Gallup, despite him tearing his ACL in Week 17.

At this point, the team’s receiver room contained Lamb, Gallup, and Fehoko. Wilson ended up signing a contract with the Miami Dolphins, which really threw a wrench into things. The front office “bounced back” by signing free agent WR James Washington and re-signing Noah Brown. Their seemingly final addition to the group is 2022 third-round draft pick Jalen Tolbert.

I haven’t even included the fact that rising star tight end Dalton Schultz is due for a new contract at some point, as he is now playing on the franchise tag. Schultz had a short holdout towards the end of OTA’s, but signs are pointing to the tight end being a full participant in training camp and playing under the tag.

In this article, I will be predicting these pass-catchers’ final statlines for the 2022-23 season. The statistics I used in the Dak Prescott and running backs’ stat predictions will coincide with these as well. In other words, by the end, the numbers should all add up. I will be doing game-by-game predictions for Lamb, Gallup, Washington, Tolbert, and Schultz. The depth pass-catchers will be summed up at the bottom of this page.

Note: Due to his injury, Gallup is not expected to be ready to play for Week 1. They have not specified a timeline for his return, so I will date his return for Week 5.

Depth Pass-Catchers Stat Line Predictions

Noah Brown – 9 receptions, 36 receiving yards, 4 yards per catch
Simi Fehoko – 8 receptions, 58 receiving yards, 7.3 yards per catch
Jake Ferguson – 21 receptions, 161 receiving yards, 7.7 yards per catch, 1 receiving touchdown

With Lamb, Gallup, Tolbert, and Washington maintaining their WR1-4 spots, I don’t expect Noah Brown or Simi Fehoko to get on the field much this season. Their best opportunities to do so would be, barring injury, before Gallup comes back, or if the final game is meaningless.

The surprise here may be Jake Ferguson’s production. The fourth-round pick is ready to produce, and the team has reportedly been very impressed with him to this point. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore may look to the Wisconsin product to help replace Cooper and Wilson. Two tight end sets may become more prevalent in the Cowboy offense if they decide they want to win on the ground as well, so Ferguson may see the field more than people expect.