3 Cowboys players to watch in Week 1 vs. the Buccaneers

2. Simi Fehoko, WR

Another position dealing with some injuries for Dallas is wide receiver. Michael Gallup recently returned to practice, but after having ACL surgery in January, there’s no logical reason to rush him onto the field.

Also out is James Washington, who suffered a fractured foot in the offseason. That means the Cowboys are going to have to lean heavily on CeeDee Lamb, who had 79 receptions for 1,102 yards and six touchdowns last season. He now moves into the No. 1 role and rookie third-round pick Jalen Tolbert will be the starter across from him.

Tolbert will be asked to step up but he won’t be alone. Dallas is going to need more than those two in order to keep the offense moving and one player who could end up taking advantage of the opportunity is Simi Fehoko.

A fifth-round pick in 2021 out of Stanford, Fehoko played primarily on special teams as a rookie but saw the field often in the preseason. He responded by scoring a touchdown in two of the games, capping off a strong training camp in style.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Fehoko is a big-bodied wideout who proved he can haul in contested passes in the team’s exhibition games.

On Sunday night, he’s sure to see the field on offense more than he did as a rookie and could provide a different element than the starting wideouts can.