The Dallas Cowboys entered the offseason with a need at the wide receiver position. CeeDee Lamb proved he was capable of handling the No. 1 spot, but the depth behind him was concerning. The team was never able to replace the production of Amari Cooper, who was traded to the Cleveland Browns as a salary cap casualty last offseason.
The team addressed that need early on in free agency, completing a trade with the Houston Texans. After months of speculation, the Texans finally moved veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks, as the Cowboys traded a fourth-round pick for him.
Rumors were floating around that the Cowboys were interested in Cooks ahead of the trade deadline in November but the asking price was too high. Now, they got their man and upgraded the supporting cast behind Lamb.
The Cowboys have a solid trio now with Lamb, Cooks and Michael Gallup. But, they may not be done adding talent to the position. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Dallas is set to host a top wide receiver prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba has a visit scheduled with the Cowboys. Because he is from Rockwell, which is in the Dallas area, this is considered a local visit, not a top-30 one. The former Buckeye has already met with the Atlanta Falcons but has visits also scheduled with the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Texans.
Smith-Njigba is considered by some to be the No. 1 wide receiver prospect in this year’s draft class. Injuries derailed his 2022 campaign as he appeared in only three games. But, if you take a look at his 2021 tape, he looks like a star in the making.
As a sophomore, he caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns. He set an FBS-Bowl single-game record when he finished with 347 yards in the Rose Bowl victory over Utah in 2022.
It is up for debate whether or not the Cowboys will even have the chance to select Smith-Njigba. Some mock drafts have him going as high as No. 12 to the Texans. There aren’t many, if any, mocks that have him even reaching No. 26, where Dallas will be on the clock, but many thought the same thing when Lamb fell into their laps at No. 17 in the 2020 NFL Draft.
