The Dallas Cowboys finally pulled off the highly anticipated wide receiver move of the offseason, trading for George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. Heading into his fourth season in the NFL, Pickens brings a ton of upside and playmaking ability to Dallas, making him a lethal pair with CeeDee Lamb in the newly revamped Cowboys offense.
Whenever a player of Pickens' caliber joins a new team, it understandably creates a ripple effect on the depth chart. The star WR will be a huge part of the Cowboys' offense, taking up the majority of Dak Prescott's targets along with Lamb. This pushes the likes of Jalen Tolbert, Kavontae Turpin, and Jonathan Mingo further down the pecking order, putting them on thin ice ahead of the OTAs.
Jonathan Mingo's Days in Dallas May Be Numbered After the George Pickens Trade
This is especially true for Mingo, whose place on the offense was questionable even before the Pickens deal. After being acquired at the 2024 trade deadline for an unexpectedly high asking price, Mingo failed to live up to the expectations in Dallas. He finished his Cowboys stint with five catches for 46 yards in eight games. He has yet to score a touchdown in his NFL career, leaving Cowboys fans scratching their heads as to why the team gave up a fourth-round pick to acquire him from the Panthers.
Tolbert, on the other hand, showed plenty of flashes in this third season as a Cowboy. The 26-year-old caught 49 passes for 610 yards and scored seven touchdowns as part of an underwhelming Cowboys offense. He should firmly be the frontrunner to land the WR3 spot to begin the season.
Behind them on the depth chart, the Cowboys have shown plenty of interest in using returner KaVontae Turpin in the offense. That's already four wide receivers, and they're unlikely to carry more than five.
So Mingo is competing for the fifth spot, and the team's decision to bring in free agent Parris Campbell is a sign that they're not all that comfortable with their existing depth pieces like Mingo. That's not to mention there are seven other players for him to compete with for the job (Ryan Flournoy, Kelvin Harmon, Seth Williams, Jalen Cropper, Traeshon Holden and Josh Kelly).
Jerry Jones' decision to break the bank for Pickens further highlights the organization's uncertainty about Mingo.
The Cowboys may not be able to recoup what they gave up for the former Panther, but they may still be able to get something back for him thanks to his reputation as a second-round pick. Dallas should seriously consider cutting their losses there.