Cowboys WR stole the show at minicamp, and it's not who you think
By Jerry Trotta
Everyone is waiting for the CeeDee Lamb contract domino to fall. Ideally, the Dallas Cowboys will wrap this up before training camp. Lamb skipped OTAs as he awaits a new deal and his absence from mandatory minicamp means he's subject to a lofty fine.
The Cowboys would have obviously benefitted from having Lamb at practice. Team chemistry is one thing, but developing players like Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks missed a prime opportunity to soak up knowledge from one of the game's elite wide receivers.
There's plenty of time for that during training camp, however. One positive from Lamb's contract holdout is that Tolbert, Brooks and Dallas' other receivers will get invaluable reps with Dak Prescott and the first-team offense.
While Mike McCarthy has spoken glowingly of Tolbert and Brooks, another Cowboys wideout made waves during minicamp this week. In a pleasant surprise, 2024 sixth-round pick Ryan Flournoy was all the rage on the practice field.
Cowboys rookie WR Ryan Flournoy steals show at mandatory minicamp
Flournoy caught a touchdown during team drills that caught the eye of multiple Cowboys reporters. ESPN's Todd Archer likened the grab to Dez Bryant's signature (and utterly unstoppable) fade route in the red zone. Patrik Walker of the team's official website noted that Flournoy gave the DB in coverage no chance even though he was draped all over the rookie from the start of the route.
Trey Lance might have had his best throw of the offseason with a deep ball to Jalen Tolbert to convert a third and short. Perfect throw to the outside shoulder. On the next play. WR Ryan Flournoy made a Dez Bryant-like grab on a fade for a TD but the 2-point play failed.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) June 5, 2024
That is a testament to Flournoy's athleticism. The term "freak athlete" is thrown around far too often nowadays, but it applies to Flournoy. In fact, Flournoy's 9.89 relative athletic score coming out of college is the highest of any wide receiver in Cowboys history.
This also isn't the first time that Flournoy has been mentioned in the same breath as Dez Bryant. Walker isn't ready to make that comparison (that would be unfair to Flournoy and a slight to Bryant), but he's all aboard the Flournoy hype train. Walker believes Flournoy has a similar profile to Michael Gallup, but has more "raw athleticism" and a superior route tree.
Hang on a second. Doesn't that describe Bryant's game to a tee?
Correct. But you said it, not me — yet.
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) June 5, 2024
Nobody is saying that Flournoy is the next Dez Bryant. He's a development receiver, but his athleticism is undoubtedly NFL-ready. That was evident at the Senior Bowl, where he won consistently in the slot and out wide against draft-bound defensive backs.
Cowboys fans should expect Flournoy to continue turning heads at training camp. If that happens, he could make a beeline for the first-team offense and begin to challenge for the fourth (maybe third?) spot on the depth chart.
At the very least, Flournoy making the 53-man roster already seems like a forgone conclusion.
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