6 Cowboys on Thin Ice Heading Into the NFL Draft

3. Jalen Tolbert, Wide Receiver 

The good news for Jalen Tolbert is that he’s in a much better spot this season than he was heading into the 2023 campaign. After catching just two passes for 12 yards as a rookie, he was an afterthought going into year two.

Once camp began, he proved to have taken a step forward, and that showed on the field. Tolbert played in all 17 games and was credited with six starts. He ended up recording 22 receptions for 268 yards with two touchdowns. He even helped the offense take a step forward when he was elevated to the No. 3 spot ahead of Michael Gallup.

Having said all of that, Tolbert still didn’t do enough to keep Dallas from adding a wide receiver in the draft. He surely benefited from Gallup setting the bar so low and will have to prove he’s still making forward progress to keep his job.

If Dallas were to land a wideout during the first two days of the draft, the South Alabama product could slide right back down the depth chart. It might not be enough to get him removed from the 53-man roster (they’re far from loaded at wideout) but it could relegate him to special teams once again.