Where the Cowboys' WR Depth Chart Stands Heading Into Draft

Dallas Cowboys fans hope to finally experience some offseason excitement now that the 2024 NFL Draft is less than a day away. The Cowboys have been one of the quieter teams this offseason, opting to sit on their hands and rant about going 'all in' rather than attempting to replace the series of key players — from Tyron Smith to Tony Pollard — who departed this spring.

Needless to say, the Cowboys have several areas they can address at the draft — including the wide receiver room. After Michael Gallup was released this spring, Dak Prescott's wideout options are extremely limited beyond CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks. If management truly wants to end the Super Bowl drought, adding an NFL-ready playmaker is crucial.

Before Jerry Jones & Co. have the opportunity to draft another wideout, let's look at how the Cowboys' WR depth chart is shaping up.

1. CeeDee Lamb

To the shock of no one, CeeDee Lamb remains the Cowboys' No. 1 WR heading into the 2024 season. Lamb, a four-year veteran, has improved with each passing season and the 2023 campaign was no exception.

Lamb, a four-year veteran, has improved with each passing season and the 2023 campaign was no exception. The former Oklahoma Sooner paced the NFL with 135 receptions as he set new career highs in both receiving yards (1,749) and touchdowns (12). In fact, his reception and yardage totals are new franchise records, beating out Michael Irvin's 111 catches and 1,603 yards he racked up in 1995.

The only issue surrounding Lamb ahead of his fifth NFL season is that he's still without a contract extension. The Cowboys are delaying the inevitable by kicking the can down the road, but Lamb's price will only skyrocket as more of the league's premiere playmakers continue to sign mega-deals.

Hopefully, the Cowboys and Lamb work out a deal because they can't afford to lose him. We already saw how letting go of Amari Cooper in favor of Michael Gallup was a horrendous decision and failing to retain Lamb could be even worse.

Nevertheless, his contract issues don't change the fact that Lamb is not only the best wide receiver on the Cowboys, but one of the best at his position in the whole league.

2. Brandin Cooks

When they needed a legitimate WR2 last season, the Cowboys went out and acquired Brandin Cooks from the Houston Texans in exchange for two draft picks. It was a brilliant move on paper as Cooks had been incredibly consistent throughout his career, hitting the 1,000-yard mark six times from 2015 to 2022.

Cooks' first campaign with Dallas was a mixed bag. On one hand, the 30-year-old playmaker only registered 657 receiving yards and 41.1 yards per game, which were two of the worst outputs of his career. On the other hand, he racked up eight TD catches and even yielded an impressive 103.8 passer rating when targeted.

Cooks is still a solid weapon to have in the fold, but it's clear that he's no longer the WR1 that he once was. If he plays closer as he did in the second half of the 2023 season, I could see him tallying 600-800 yards and at least five TDs. But if his play takes a step back, it's going to be tough to justify his spot as the Cowboy's WR2.