Dallas Cowboys: Three electrifying receivers to target in 2021 NFL Draft
You know the cliché saying: the NFL is a copycat league. Therefore, it would be pretty smart for the Dallas Cowboys to copy some of what Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs are doing. Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the Kansas City Chiefs punched their ticket to their second consecutive Super Bowl after playing in […]
You know the cliché saying: the NFL is a copycat league. Therefore, it would be pretty smart for the Dallas Cowboys to copy some of what Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs are doing.
Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the Kansas City Chiefs punched their ticket to their second consecutive Super Bowl after playing in their third straight AFC Championship Game. The Chiefs have been must-watch television since Mahomes took over as starting quarterback in 2018, thanks to their explosive offense and overall exciting style of play.
As good a play-caller that Reid and as good of a quarterback that Mahomes both are, the two of them would not be as successful without the amount of talent surrounding them. Travis Kelce is the top tight end in football and Tyreek Hill is on his own planet in terms of speed and playmaking ability.
The Chiefs have done a great job of stockpiling speedsters at wide receiver. In addition to the otherworldly fast Hill, Kansas City features Mecole Hardman, Sammy Watkins, and Byron Pringle out wide for Mahomes to get the ball to. All of those pass catchers ran in the 4.4s or better in the pre-draft process and all of them are threats to score when they touch the ball.
The Dallas Cowboys have built a terrific wide receiver corps in their own right. Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb have an argument as the best trio in the league, and all three have the ability to be a go-to target in an offense.
However, if there is a knock on the wide receiver corps in Dallas, it is that there is not a player that can take the top-off-the-defense in the way a Tyreek Hill or Mecole Hardman can. That is a missing element in an otherwise very good offense.
The Cowboys have tried to acquire players that can be used in similar ways to Hill and Hardman — Tavon Austin, Ryan Switzer, and Lucky Whitehead come to mind — but it just hasn't worked out. That doesn't mean that the Cowboys should stop trying; rather, the Chiefs' success means Dallas should make it a priority to add a speedy, electric weapon through the draft.
With both Cedrick Wilson and Noah Brown hitting free agency this offseason and Michael Gallup set to be on the market next year, there is a need at adding talent to the wide receivers room to round out the corps. We identified three different options for the Cowboys to target in the draft.
Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
It is very unlikely that the Dallas Cowboys select an offensive skill player in the first-round of the 2021 NFL Draft. If the team does want to add another weapon to the offense on the first night, one can argue that tight end Kyle Pitts would be the better route. Still, there is always a possibility that the best player on the board is a wideout.
That brings us to former Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle. The former top-50 recruit missed the majority of his final season in Tuscaloosa due to a high-ankle sprain and fracture to his right ankle, but he produced in a big way when he was on the field: catching 25 passes for 557 yards and four touchdowns in the first four games of the season.
Recently, the Dallas Morning News' John Owning wrote a seven-round mock draft for the Cowboys. The first-round selection? Jaylen Waddle.
The Cowboys would need to decide whether to move Waddle or CeeDee Lamb to the outside, allowing the other to mainly line up in the slot. Waddle’s presence would make defenses respect Dallas’ vertical passing game even more than they already do, which could have benefits for the rest of the Cowboys’ weapons.
While receiver isn’t a need and fans are zeroed in on defense in the first round, Waddle is too good to pass up here with the top corners off the board. Passing on Waddle to reach for a defender with a lesser grade is a recipe for disaster, so I’m playing it safe and sticking with BPA.
It would be pretty surprising if the Cowboys take a receiver in the first-round with needs all over the defense and along the offensive line, but Waddle is a special talent and could very well be the best player available when Dallas is on the clock.
Adding him to an already impressive wide receiver unit would have the potential to make the Dallas Cowboys offense lethal.
D'Wayne Eskridge, Western Michigan
The Cowboys don't need to take a wide receiver on day one, so it is much more likely that the team selects a pass catcher deeper in the draft. One name to keep an eye on in that regard is Western Michigan product D'Wayne Eskridge.
Eskridge played five seasons on the collegiate level from 2016 to 2020 — though he played in just 10 total games in 2019 and 2020. The Indiana native posted more than 500 yards in three of those seasons: 506 as a sophomore in 2017, 776 the next year as a junior, and then 768 — and eight touchdowns — in just six games in 2020.
The 5-foot-9 and 190-pound target will participate at the 2021 Senior Bowl, providing him an opportunity to elevate his stock in an unusual pre-draft process. The Cowboys have the possibility of receiving four compensatory draft picks, and Eskridge could be a target in the third- or fourth-round.
Tutu Atwell, Louisville
A high school quarterback at the same program that produced Amari Cooper and Teddy Bridgewater, Tutu Atwell is one of the most explosive players in the 2021 NFL Draft class. The Louisville product blossomed into a star on the collegiate level in just his second season.
As a sophomore, Atwell grabbed 69 catches for 1,272 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging over 18 yards per reception for the Cardinals. He became a matchup nightmare for defenses, and he seemingly made a big play week after week.
Atwell played in nine games in 2020 before opting out and declaring for the draft. The Miami native grabbed 46 catches for 625 yards and seven touchdowns in those games, averaging 13 yards from scrimmage.
While the 5-foot-9, 165-pounder is small and slight, he is an electrifying talent with the potential to add another dynamic to whatever offense he joins.
When you throw in the likes of Rondale Moore, Kadarius Toney, Dyami Brown, Marquez Stevenson, Tamorrion Terry, and more, there is no shortage of dynamic wideouts in this class. The Cowboys would be wise to invest in one of these explosive weapons come draft time.
Featured image via Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
