Dallas Cowboys: Three mid-round receivers to consider in 2021 NFL Draft
By Joel Deering
The Dallas Cowboys have Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup as their top three receivers. Behind them are Cedric Wilson and Noah Brown. Both Wilson and Brown are free agents this offseason, meaning there’s a chance they could both be playing with new teams next season. They have both proven valuable at times, but neither of them has made a big enough impact to make them a necessity to keep around.
Due to the Dallas Cowboys having their top three set at the position, wide receiver likely won’t be a focus in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, it’s not a position they should completely ignore either. If Wilson or Brown leave, the fourth or fifth receiver spots will need to be filled either in free agency or the draft.
If this is the case, there are a few receivers the Dallas Cowboys should consider drafting. Before we get into who those receivers are, let’s break down the type of receiver Dallas should target.
The number one thing the Dallas Cowboys should look for in a receiver is speed. When it comes to their receivers, they don’t have a speed guy. They don’t have a guy who is faster than everyone else on the field. Cooper, Lamb and Gallup all have great skill sets, but their forty times are 4.42 seconds (Cooper), 4.50 seconds (Lamb) and 4.51 seconds (Gallup).
Are any of those times bad? Not at all. However, they aren’t the times of a guy who is the fastest guy on the field. The Dallas Cowboys don’t have that guy, so if they do target a receiver in the 2021 NFL Draft, speed should be the number one thing they look at. Now let’s take a look at three mid-round receivers they should consider targeting.
1. Tutu Atwell, Louisville Cardinals
Tutu Atwell ranks as the 97th overall player in the 2021 NFL Draft, according to CBS. This would put him as a late third or early fourth-round pick. Considering all the needs the Dallas Cowboys have, the third round is likely too early for them to select a receiver. However, if Atwell is there when their fourth-round pick rolls around, they should consider pulling the trigger.
In nine games in 2020, Atwell produced 46 receptions for 625 yards and seven touchdowns receiving. In 13 games in 2019, Atwell produced 69 catches for 1272 yards and 11 touchdowns. One of the biggest reasons Atwell was able to have so much success at Louisville, was because of his speed.
Atwell has been clocked at 4.27 seconds in the forty-yard dash. That’s legitimate speed. He was a deep threat at Louisville, and could easily be that for the team who drafts him. His size (5-foot-9, 165 pounds) may not make him very attractive to some teams, but for the Dallas Cowboys, it shouldn’t matter if he’s on the board when they pick in the middle rounds.
His size is similar to former Dallas Cowboys receiver Cole Beasley. Beasley is a small receiver who can get open using shiftiness and quickness. Atwell is exactly that, only much faster. If the Dallas Cowboys added a shifty, quick and agile receiver who can run a 4.27 forty, that would only add to an already ridiculous amount of talent they have on the offensive side of the ball. It would give Dak Prescott just one more weapon he can find down the field.