Cowboys' rookie emerges as favorite to take over punt return duties
During the first practice of mandatory minicamp for the Dallas Cowboys, WR Jalen Tolbert did plenty to get noticed. The third-round pick out of South Alabama not only impressed on offense, but also on special teams. Last year, it was CeeDee Lamb and Cedrick Wilson leading the team in punt returns. Both combined for 25 […]
During the first practice of mandatory minicamp for the Dallas Cowboys, WR Jalen Tolbert did plenty to get noticed. The third-round pick out of South Alabama not only impressed on offense, but also on special teams.
Last year, it was CeeDee Lamb and Cedrick Wilson leading the team in punt returns. Both combined for 25 out of the Cowboys' 28 punt returns. Wilson is in Miami now and with Lamb setting up to be the number one receiver on the team, it would be very risky to throw him out there on special teams.
Today, Tolbert saw more live work at punt returner than any other player, per Michael Gehlken from Dallas Morning News.
Emerging as a real favorite for the job would be a huge win for a rookie that's also in line for big responsibilities on offense. But it sure sounds like Tolbert has what it takes.
He might not be the fastest of receivers, but his skill set likely translates well to special teams. Particularly, I think back to one of the lines from Dane Brugler's 2022 NFL Draft guide:
"Although (Tolbert) doesn’t have elite top-end speed, he has fluid footwork and uses slight hesitation in his route breaks so he can mash the gas and create pockets of separation."
Tolbert could turn out to be an upgrade for the Cowboys in the punt return department. Per Football Outsiders' DVOA metric, the Cowboys finished as the 6th best special teams unit in the NFL. However, they ranked below league average when looking at punt returns specifically.
Tony Pollard also took part in the Cowboys' punt returns in practice, per Gehlken. It's worth noting the running back led the team in kick returns last year, but has never returned punts for the Cowboys since joining the team in 2019.
Jalen Tolbert is likely to earn a big role on offense as well, especially since Michael Gallup had ACL surgery earlier this year.
Featured image via Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
