Cowboys plan to finally replace Amari Cooper opposite CeeDee Lamb.
Since trading wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns in 2022, the Dallas Cowboys have struggled to replace his production and status in quarterback Dak Prescott’s target hierarchy. That may be about to change.
As the Cowboys face severe salary limit difficulties in the coming offseason, and Brandin Cooks may be on the move, Dallas may be prepared to draft a wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft who can finally replicate Cooper’s success in Prescott’s offense.
In his latest two-round 2024 NFL Mock Draft, ESPN’s Matt Miller predicts the Cowboys will select Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman.
“Though Brandin Cooks made a big impact as the 2023 season progressed,” Coleman writes in ESPN. “After dealing Amari Cooper, Dallas has needed a running mate for CeeDee Lamb. Coleman, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound receiver, scored 11 touchdowns on 50 catches in his only season at Florida State after transferring from Michigan State. He requires assistance separating at times, but confronting the opposing team’s CB2 would be easy considering his stature, catch radius, and toughness sprinting into contact.”
Selecting Coleman with the 24th overall choice would allow the Cowboys to advance at receiver without having to absorb a large extension for Cooks, while also getting younger at the position opposite the 24-year-old Lamb.
Coleman caught 50 receptions for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns last season as a junior in Tallahassee, demonstrating his ability to stretch the field with an average of 13.2 yards per reception.
How might Keon Coleman fit into the Cowboys’ offense?
Lamb is the Cowboys’ most productive wide receiver, but the team has spent the last two seasons searching for a reliable complementary weapon.
Coleman, according to Pro Football Focus, is a boom or bust proposition.
“Listed at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds,” Sam Monson says. “Coleman possesses conventional NFL size and has made some of the most stunning catches in this draft class. However, consistency has never existed, and his rating has multiple red signals that will send draft analysts and NFL teams all over the place.
“He made some of the best contested receptions you’ll ever see last season, but he only caught 33.3% of those opportunities, about half the number he had at Michigan State. The second red flag is that his overall production has been average at best, particularly when compared to other top receiving prospects in this class.
Coleman caught 115 passes for 1,506 yards and 19 touchdowns during three seasons, two of which were at Michigan State.
“His ball skills are special,” says Derrik Klassen for Bleacher Report. “He does an outstanding job of jockeying for position with defensive backs before going up for the ball.
“When it’s time to go vertical, Coleman knows just how to track and pluck the ball at its highest position. He also has the strength to finish and bring the ball down practically every time. He is a true weapon in the red zone and other “gotta have it” scenarios.
Jerry Jones Addresses the Defensive Coordinator Search
In addition to filling a significant offensive need, the Cowboys must find a successor for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn this offseason.
Jerry Jones believes the Cowboys will not struggle to fill Quinn’s position on head coach Mike McCarthy’s staff after he left to seek the Washington head coaching job.
“I don’t anticipate that being an issue at all,” Jones stated on the Cowboys’ official website. “If they take the position, they will become the Cowboys’ coordinator. They’d be looking at it right there, along with everything that comes with it. If they aspire, they know there’s a chance to be a head coach somewhere, because the one who recently left is.”
McCarthy is nearing the final year of his contract, and the pressure to end Dallas’ 29-year NFC Championship Game drought has never been higher.
