3 Dallas Cowboys on the verge of their first Pro Bowl in 2020
By Reid Hanson
First Time Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowler No. 2
Michael Gallup, WR
Age: 24
PFF Rating: 34th
Michael Gallup burst onto the scene last season as the Robin to Amari Cooper’s Batman. The second year player from Colorado became one of Dak Prescott’s favorite targets downfield and the two combined for quite the big play machine last year.
In just 12 starts, Gallup collected 1107 on 66 receptions and six touchdowns last season solidifying himself as an elite No. 2 receiver and showing he may even have some No. 1 ability just beneath the surface. Gallup has top-end athleticism and contested ball-skills. He has plus route-running ability and plus speed. Most importantly, he has that special nuance in his play that leads to uncanny separation at all layers of the field.
His production downfield are explained by his 24.2% target share when lined up outside (9th in the NFL). Expect that to continue.
Michael Gallup with the acrobatic one-handed grab in the corner of the endzone, as he goes up over top of Anthony Brown.@wfaa | @wfaasports | #CowboysCamp
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) September 1, 2020
(video by WFAA photographer @arnoldpayne) pic.twitter.com/z8CIgIx0IB
Drops were an issue for Gallup and the drops ultimately robbed him of a Pro Bowl bid last season. In all, Gallup’s league leading 11 drops resulted in roughly 300 yards of missed opportunities. Even still, he increased his catch percentage by 10 percent last season and had seven broken tackles on the year (which is exactly seven more than Jason Witten).
According to PFF, Michael Gallup was ninth in the NFL last season in yards gained from intermediate routes. Gallup’s game play matches so well with Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb they won’t be stealing opportunities, but rather complementing each other and building opportunities.