The Dallas Cowboys are in the market for a wide receiver this draft cycle and they’ve done very little to hide from that fact. The starting position opposite CeeDee Lamb is as empty as a Chick-fil-A on a Sunday afternoon and no one currently residing on the Cowboys roster appears up to the task. So, it’s no surprise three of Dallas’ 14 known national visits are dedicated to first-round WR prospects.
Tetairoa McMillan, Emeka Egbuka and Luther Burden III are all either going to visit, or already have visited The Star. The Cowboys spoke plainly about their desire to add an outside gamechanger with their first pick, making the WR position a heavy favorite for Dallas at pick No. 12.
Which specific prospect has been a matter of debate. McMillan is considered the cream of the crop and first non-Travis Hunter WR to go off the board but Egbuka, Burden, and even Matthew Golden, each have their own contingent of fan followings. Egbuka is an elite route runner and top run blocker. Burden is the athletic dynamo who can take any ball to the house. And Golden is the blazer who can take the top off a defense while opening space for others underneath.
Assessing the fit of each, a case can be made for any one of them, especially if a couple could be acquired later in the round in a possible trade down situation. But one fit stands out above the rest and it’s a factor that helps protect the Cowboys' $136 million investment, CeeDee Lamb.
Lamb, the NFL’s third-highest paid WR, is the engine that makes the Cowboys offense go. Every other weapon on offense has been essentially a replaceable part. Lamb is irreplaceable. Lining up predominantly in the slot, Lamb’s biggest impact comes when he plays inside. Finding a new WR who can facilitate that is extremely important this draft cycle.
McMillan is clearly an outside prospect. At 6-foot-4, 219-pounds, he’s a prototypical X prospect able to play on-ball against press coverage. It’s hard to make the case any of the other three first rounders could do the same. The Z position, lined up off ball and allowing wiggle room against press, is more of mystery. Golden is up to the task but some question Egbuka and Burden in this role. The latter two fit cleanly in the slot but outside will take some projection.
Projection is the name of the game in scouting so this mystery should by no means be seen as an excuse not to go in their direction. But it is a factor that has to be considered because the last thing the Cowboys want is to have to move their $136 million superstar out of his most impactful position on the field all because the rookie first rounder can’t hack it outside.
