Jonathan Mingo's awful must-see Cowboys stats make Jerry Jones look foolish

Outside of CeeDee Lamb, the Dallas Cowboys have not gotten much this season from the wide receiver position.

Lamb has more than double the receptions and receiving yards as the team's second-leading receiver, Jalen Tolbert. The Cowboys' projected No. 2 receiver coming into the year, Brandin Cooks, missed seven games due to a knee infection.

The lack of production prompted Jerry Jones and the front office to trade for Panthers project Jonathan Mingo. On the surface, there is nothing wrong with trading for a young receiver on a cheap deal who has multiple years of team control.

The problem is Dallas gave up a fourth-round pick for Mingo. Established WRs like Amari Cooper (!), DeAndre Hopkins, Diontae Johnson and Mike Williams all went for around that price before the deadline.

Despite the laughable overpay, Cowboys fans did not set high expectations for Mingo. Though it's only been four games, the trade has the makings of another swing-and-miss.

Cowboys' Jonathan Mingo trade looks like another Jerry Jones failure

A slow start for Mingo was expected given he arrived mid-season. It will probably take until next season for Mingo to get fully acclimated. Having said that, the 23-year-old has been with the team for over a month and has been utterly invisible.

Mingo has two catches for 10 yards on 11 targets with the Cowboys. He owns a 39.6 passer rating when targeted. That ranks 139th out of 143 qualified receivers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). His 0.24 yards per route run ranks dead-last.

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With Dak Prescott out for the season, the Cowboys were never going to bear the fruits of the trade in 2024. Cooper Rush has a very limited arm. Since taking over for Prescott, Rush has had difficulty connecting with receivers not named CeeDee Lamb.

Mingo will certainly produce more with Prescott throwing him spirals, but that doesn't make his first month any less disappointing. It is important to most of the frustration is directed at the front office - not the player.

A second-round pick last year, Mingo is clearly someone who has struggled transitioning from college to the pro level. That isn't uncommon at the receiver position.

He also went through two coaching changes in Carolina in only a year and a half with the franchise. Remember, it was Frank Reich - not current head coach Dave Canales - that drafted Mingo. That certainly stunted his development.

Unfortunately, though, the NFL is a results-based business. While Mingo is under contract through the 2026 season, his production will be critiqued on a month-to-month basis. That will change to week-to-week next year when Prescott is back and his role increases.

Even with the tempered expectations, Cowboys fans expected more than two catches and 10 receiving yards in four games.

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