The Cowboys weren't necessarily looking for a wide receiver early in the 2020 NFL draft. Nonetheless, all the stars aligned and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was selected taken with the 17th overall pick. He's only two seasons in, but Lamb is paving the way to be a productive player for years to come.

Recently, ESPN released their list of the top 10 wide receivers going into the 2022 season. Lamb fell just a little short as he was given the honorable mention distinction.

Jeremy Fowler on where Lamb was ranked:

"Some evaluators think Lamb is on the cusp of the top 10 after 79 catches, 1,102 yards and six touchdowns in Year 2. With Amari Cooper now in Cleveland and Michael Gallup recovering from a torn ACL, Lamb will be the focal point for Dallas' offense. "He's so talented that the game comes very easily for him," an AFC scout said. "He'll be going through the motions and then suddenly he's breaking off two guys for a touchdown."

Just outside of the top 10 is accurate for where Lamb is in his career at the moment. He has all the potential to be an elite talent once he gets his drop issue fine-tuned and becomes more cerebral in finding open areas in coverage.

The Cowboys made a tough decision back in March when they traded Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns. Execs, coaches, and players around the NFL who helped come up with this particular ranking are saying indirectly that the Cowboys may have made a mistake letting Cooper go.

That's not the thinking when it comes to the Cowboys. Cooper was considered to be a top 10 receiver by many, at least up until last season. The Cowboys could have restructured Cooper's deal to save dollars against the cap and kept him along with Lamb and Michael Gallup for the next few seasons. Instead, the Cowboys were willing to only get a fifth-round pick and exchange sixth-round picks to move on from him.

Trading one of the league's better receivers for one that's still up-and-coming is a bit of a gamble and one the Cowboys didn't necessarily have to take on.

This means the heat is on for Lamb. He's the new No. 1 for the Cowboys in the passing game. All the double teams and extra attention that Cooper used to get will now shift to Lamb, especially until Gallup returns from his torn ACL which likely won't happen until a month into the season or longer.

Eventually, Lamb was going to take over the reins as the top receiver for the Cowboys, that's what first-round picks do. Now that the organization has favored him over Cooper, it's time for Lamb to go above being on the cusp and play like a top 10 pass-catcher.

It's one thing to be productive as a second or third receiver because you're not the focal point of the aerial assault and can feast off of the attention the top option gets. However, being the receiver that's game planned for by the opposing team makes it a lot tougher, but at the same time raises the level of expectations.

Last month, Lamb spoke about how being the top dog in the Cowboys' receiver room means he has to step up his game.

“That’s a lot to take in. It kind of happened so fast, but I feel like that’s a situation I’m ready to take on,” said Lamb. "Honestly, it kind of, in a sense, raised the standard. Obviously, I hold myself to a high standard already, but obviously, at this moment, there’s nothing else you can really do but take it on. That’s the energy I have.”

Well, Lamb, you've got the juice now, and it's time to fill some glasses up with it.

Feature image via Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports