5 early free agent targets for the Cowboys ahead of 2023 season

2. Mecole Hardman, WR

One huge mistake Dallas made this past season was when they decided to send Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns for a mere fifth-round pick. They clearly thought they would get more out of Michael Gallup and free agent James Washington, but that didn’t happen.

They used the draft as well to try and replace Cooper, adding Jalen Tolbert in the third round. The South Alabama product came in with a lot of hype but wound up with just two receptions all season. Clearly, it’s not time to give up on Tolbert and they should see Gallup’s play improve now that he has a full year removed from his torn ACL.

Even so, the passing attack in Dallas really needs more depth and there’s a great fit in free agency with Mecole Hardman hitting the open market. Hardman, a former standout at Georgia has been with the Kansas City Chiefs since 2019.

He’s been a solid receiver and return man, even though he never developed into a No. 1 option. For his career, Hardman has 2,088 yards on 151 receptions with 16 touchdowns. He’s added another 125 yards and two scores as a running back. And while Dallas has KaVontae Turpin, adding another player with return skills, and two touchdowns on special teams, is never a bad idea.

Hardman is known for his speed and putting him in the slot with CeeDee Lamb and Gallup on the outside would give them a vastly improved receiving corps heading into the 2023 season.