The Dallas Cowboys are firmly in a new era after head coach Brian Schottenheimer took over behind the bench earlier this offseason. The former offensive coordinator has a big test in front of him after the Cowboys' forgettable performance in 2024, and it's safe to say that any potential success Schottenheimer will see in Year 1 starts with quarterback Dak Prescott.
Prescott can't succeed on his own, though, which is why the Cowboys bolstered his arsenal throughout the spring. America's Team acquired veteran wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers, while also adding Parris Campbell to a WR room that already featured CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, and KaVontae Turpin.
Although the Cowboys' WR situation looks more promising than last year, one of the team's wideouts desperately needs to impress Schottenheimer's staff if he wants to stick around.
Cowboys WR Jonathan Mingo Must Convince Coaches Big Time at Training Camp
Of the receivers on the Cowboys' training camp roster, Jonathan Mingo needs a strong summertime showing the most.
The Cowboys needed some WR help last season, leading to their sending a fourth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers to bring Mingo to town. It was a somewhat steep price to pay for a struggling wideout with only 12 catches for 121 receiving yards without a touchdown in his first nine games of the year, but the Cowboys were hopeful that he could live up to his potential as a former second-round pick.
After all, Mingo had posted 43 receptions and 418 yards as a rookie, and replicating that performance in the Lone Star State would see him be in the mix for Dallas' WR3/4 roles.
Instead of capitalizing on a fresh start, Mingo was largely invisible in the 2024 season's second half.
In the eight games (1 start) he saw with the Cowboys, the former Ole Miss product only managed to haul in 5-of-16 targets (31.3%) for 46 yards without a TD. Between his time with Dallas and Carolina, Mingo finished with abysmal Pro Football Focus grades regarding receiving (50.6) and overall offense (49.9) — both down from his rookie season performance.
Unless Mingo has a training camp showing that helps the Cowboys coaches forget about last year's shortcomings, his time in Dallas might not last much longer. With Lamb, Pickens, Tolbert, Campbell, Turpin, and Jalen Brooks in the mix, Mingo could find himself on the outside looking in if he can't outplay the competition.
Needless to say, Cowboys fans will want to monitor Mingo's performance in the coming weeks.