The Dallas Cowboys’ wide receiver room will look different. After Amari Cooper was let go, the Cowboys are going all-in on CeeDee Lamb as their top wide receiver. He is a former first-round pick entering his third NFL season, so it makes sense that it was time to pass the baton.
What can fans expect from the biggest year of CeeDee Lamb’s career? Here are three early predictions for his 2022 season.
3. CeeDee Lamb Will Continue To Ascend
This may not sound bold, but it will surprise you to know that Lamb ranks eighth all-time in receiving yards by someone age 22 or younger. Of the seven players ahead of him, only two of them had better year threes than they had in year two. Those two are Mike Evans and Randy Moss.
To be a part of a group that includes only Evans and Moss would be something. All that Lamb has to do is avoid a fall-off of any type. Even the players on the list such as Josh Gordon, Amari Cooper, and Larry Fitzgerald went on to be fine, but they did not have a strong third season. It is hard to stay productive like that for three straight years to start your career.
2. CeeDee Lamb Will Hit 1,4000 Yards
Lamb went from 935 to 1,102 yards between year one and two. That was an increase of 167 yards. If he does that again, he will get to 1,279. 1,300 is right in range, but if he takes another step, he will hit 1,400 yards. The Cowboys did not just lose Amari Cooper, they also lost Cedrick Wilson.
Sure, they signed Michael Gallup and James Washington, but the talent lost does not match the talent gained. Washington may struggle as he did in Pittsburgh, and Gallup is coming off an ACL injury. All of a sudden a group that had four legitimate pass-catchers may be relying on CeeDee Lamb to have a career year.
1. CeeDee Lamb Will Catch 10 Touchdown Passes
CeeDee Lamb has just 11 touchdowns in two seasons, so 10 in his third year would be one heck of a rise. It is all set up for it, though. As noted, he is entering year three and is in rare company. Both Evans and Moss hit 10 touchdowns in their third season.
He should get a lot more targets than he has ever seen, and those should be more high value. Beyond that, he is one of the best wideouts in the NFL after the catch. One or two more could break for him and he hauls into the end zone.
If that gets him to eight or nine, the extra targets will get him over the top for 10 touchdowns. A third NFL season that features 1,400 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns would be one that has Lamb on the map as one of the premier WRs in the NFL. Do not be surprised when this happens.
