NFL Draft Receiver Odds Could Hint At Cowboys' Options

Will the Dallas Cowboys consider choosing a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL draft in late April?

DraftKings has odds on who might be the first WR taken.

One part of the answer may lie in how far they believe Michael Gallup returns from an ACL injury and whether he can become a potent No. 2 wide receiver to CeeDee Lamb.

The other part may lie on who is out there when the ‘Boys take the 26^th selection.

Their early selections are:

Round 1, Pick 26
Round 2, Pick 58
Round 3, Pick 90

They have several selections in rounds 4-7.

DraftKings Board Offers Some Stars

Many mock drafts have Quentin Johnston of TCU, +150 to be the first receiver drafted, as being gone long before the Cowboys choose.

Then it gets interesting with Jordan Addison of USC, +250, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba of Ohio State, +300. Both guys might be gone by the time the Cowboys pick, but that’s not a given.

Jalin Hyatt of Tennessee is +450 and had an excellent senior year with 15 touchdown receptions, 1,267 yards and an average of 18.9 yards per catch.

Some mock drafts have him going to the New York Giants at No. 23. If they don’t take him, the ‘Boys could nab him. Hyatt has strong credentials, comes from a big school, and has pretty good size.

Next according to the board would be Zay Flowers of Boston College at +900. He had 12 touchdowns for 1,077 yards and averaged 13.8 yards per catch.

He looks smallish in the way that DeVonta Smith does for the Philadelphia Eagles, but Flowers would benefit from the coverage attention given to Lamb.

Whether Dallas wants to commit to a 5-foot-10, 172-pound receiver or select another position remains to be seen.

With the NFL Combine just one week away, a player to watch is Boston College WR Zay Flowers.

Flowers is quick and elusive at 5’10, 172-pounds. But he’s also great at tracking deep throws and making contested catches (watch the last reception in this clip to see what I mean). pic.twitter.com/UgpDUzqBRA
— How Bout Them (@HowBoutThem88) February 21, 2023

It’s also possible that the top projected receivers are not taken and that the ‘Boys can grab one of the higher choices on this board if they want.

The topic is interesting.

Johnny Avello, the director of race and sportsbook operations for DraftKings, told How Bout Them.

“All in all, I would say this is an average draft class.

“You don’t know how good these guys are going to be until they play. But what we have seen in evaluating college players is that this is where the NFL teams can separate themselves.

“Who can make the right picks? Who can go deep in the draft and find those nuggets?”

The Last Time The Cowboys Took A First Round WR…

Late nuggets are great, but finding early ones helped the Cowboys in recent years.

That started by getting it right on Lamb in 2020, which impacted the Cowboys in 2021.

Lamb, selected 17^th, has been the star wide receiver Dallas thought he would be.

Soon after Dallas took him, Philadelphia pulled the trigger on Jalen Reagor, who hasn’t succeeded. They ignored Justin Jefferson, who was taken next by the Minnesota Vikings and could become a legend.