Could Cowboys Michael Gallup be the best rookie receiver this season?

Michael Gallup has been turning heads all throughout Cowboys training camp. Could he be the best rookie receiver this season?

The Cowboys drafted 6’1” receiver Michael Gallup in the 3rd round out of Colorado State. During the 2016-17 season at CSU, Gallup caught 76 passes for 1,272 yards and 14 touchdowns. The next season, 2017-18, he caught 100 passes for 1,413 yards and 7 touchdowns (stats per CBS Sports).

That kind of production is exactly what the Cowboys need. Gallup has the ability to get open and make big plays. He’s shown that off thus far throughout training camp. There’s plenty of videos floating around social media of Gallup beating the Cowboys secondary in practice.

In Dallas’ first preseason game against San Francisco, Gallup only had 1 reception for 30 yards but it was an exciting touchdown catch over cornerback Jimmie Ward. The next game he recorded 2 receptions for 16 yards.

Gallup was targeted twice against Arizona but failed to record a catch. He only played 8 snaps in the third preseason game which signaled that he will be a potential starter Sunday against Carolina. Jerry Jones even gave him a vote of confidence:

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones praising rookie WR Michael Gallup on @1053thefan: "I think he's going to start off opening day, I think he'll be part of our plan. He's really a lot better player than when he got here."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 24, 2018

Gallup ended up playing the entire first half of the preseason finale against the Texans which he totaled 29 yards on 4 catches.

With Dez Bryant being released and Jason Witten retiring, there is a void in the receiving corps.

There were 219 targets between Bryant (132) and Witten (87) in 2017. That leaves Gallup with plenty of balls being thrown his way. However, not only do the targets need to be filled, the skill set does as well.

Dez Bryant could win 50/50 balls and Jason Witten was always getting open. Now to say Michael Gallup will do those same things right away in his first season would be a little premature. Although, Gallup has the ability and potential to make a strong impact this year.

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When Allen Hurns signed with the Cowboys, it was presumed that he would take over the #1 receiver role. Although, aside from a breakout season in 2015, Hurns has not played like a top receiver.

Cole Beasley was Dak Prescott’s favorite receiver during the 2016 season. Last year though, Beasley took a step back and had a down year. He totaled less than half as many receptions and half as many yards.

It is reasonable to think Terrance Williams will have a year similar to his 2015 season when he was top receiver due to Dez Bryant being out with injuries. He had 52 catches for 840 yards and 8 touchdowns that year.

With Dez Bryant no longer with the team, Williams will not be living in Bryant’s shadow. However, Williams has never had the best hands or route running. Also, he faced some off the field concerns this offseason, so it’ll show whether or not he can take a step forward.

With the other Cowboys’ top receivers facing their own questions, the way Gallup has played throughout the preseason should be a reason to think he will be very good this season.

Just how good could Michael Gallup be this season?

To think Michael Gallup will put up 1,200 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in his first season is a little unrealistic. Wide receivers usually take a few years to develop. Michael Irvin did not achieve 1,000 receiving yards in a season until his 4th season.

Dez Bryant was in his 3rd season when he first gained 1,000 receiving yards in a season. The last receiver to reach 1,000 receiving yards in his rookie season was Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints. He had 1,137 receiving yards on 92 receptions in 2016 (stats per NFL.com).

Gallup might not even get 92 receptions this year because the Cowboys like to spread the ball around plus the strong emphasis on the run game now that Ezekiel Elliott is back for a full season. Gallup this season needs to take advantage of what he gets.

500 yards and 5 touchdowns are reasonably obtainable with his talent and place in the offense. This season, in the end, will be a building block for Gallup as he progresses towards becoming a top wideout.

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Could Michael Gallup be the best rookie receiver this season?

Published on 09/05/2018 at 16:00 PM
Last updated at 09/05/2018 at 04:49 AM

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