You can make a strong case that the wide receiver position is the strongest spot on the roster for Dallas. In fact, it’s probably the best wide receiver room in the NFL, especially when you consider how well Ryan Flournoy played during the 2025 season.
And yet, there is still work to be done to complete the position. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are arguably the best wide receiver duo in the league, and Flournoy and Turpin round out the room nicely. However, they are still missing that one last piece.
The Dallas Cowboys should add another wide receiver before Week 1
The Cowboys have a lot of depth at wide receiver, and recent trends suggest that they will only keep five receivers on the active roster this season. And with Turpin a lock due to his special teams prowess, that really only leaves one spot open on the roster.
The hope was that Jonathan Mingo would eventually take over that spot, but he caught just six passes in two seasons with the Cowboys. Dallas did sign a couple of veteran free agents in the last month, bringing in Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Tyler Johnson, but it would be a slight shock to see either make the 53-man roster.
But instead of focusing on the names of players who could make the team, we should define the role of WR5 for this squad. The No. 1 job of the last receiver on the roster has almost nothing to do with how well he can get open and catch the ball. Instead, it’s all about what he can do on special teams.
A perfect example of this role is what Noah Brown did in the first five years of his career in Dallas. From 2017 to 2021, Brown caught just 39 passes for 425 yards and zero touchdowns in Dallas. That averages out to just 85 receiving yards per season. But over that same time period, Brown played 640 snaps on special teams despite not being a kick or punt returner.
That is the primary job of the last receiver on the depth chart. It’s not fun to talk about or discuss, but it’s the truth. And the only way for that receiver to see the field (without injuries) is to add value in some other way. Again, that’s how someone like Brown saw the field early in his career. He was an excellent run blocker and would often start series before being rotated out for players like Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, or CeeDee Lamb.
Another example of this would be Jake Bobo, who was with the Seattle Seahawks last season. Bobo was an undrafted free agent signing of the Seahawks in 2023, partially due to the fact that he ran a 4.99 40-yard dash. But he proved to be incredibly valuable for the Seahawks this year, as he played over 134 snaps on special teams and was an effective blocker on offense.
The Cowboys need to find their version of Jake Bobo or the 2018 version of Noah Brown before Week 1. Coincidentally enough, Brown is currently a free agent, but don’t expect the Cowboys to explore that option. They would prefer that player to be cheap/on a rookie contract. Dallas will want a player who won’t demand targets but can still have a weekly impact on the offense and on the special teams units.
You would think that would be an easy role to fill, but it’s one that a lot of teams struggle to fill. And with Mingo and “MVS” not being candidates for this role, the Cowboys are hoping that Anthony Smith or one of their undrafted free-agent options (Treshon Holden, Jordan Hudson) could potentially take this job.
If neither shows enough in OTAs and training camp, don’t be surprised if the Cowboys go out and add another receiver to this roster before it’s all said and done. It’s a low-stakes job that needs to be done, but it’s part of building a championship roster that usually gets overlooked.
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