There’s a long list of candidates vying for roster spots at wide receiver with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020. You may think of a lot of names before undrafted rookie Kendrick Rogers, but the former Aggie brings size and athleticism to the competition and could be a factor in 2020.
Rogers failed to have his name called during April’s NFL Draft but was immediately signed by the Cowboys as a free agent. Jeff Tarpley, who covers Texas A&M for 247 Sports, said recently that Dallas sees Kendrick as a potential redzone threat.
He can high point a ball, use his body to box out a defender, and bail out a quarterback. Rogers has 6 foot 4 length and also 4.52 speed in the forty that give the Cowboys the basis for hope that he can build around his best attributes to become a more complete receiver.
However, that same article described Rogers’ ceiling as “quite low” and he would need a lot of work to become true NFL receiver. But if Kendrick can at least flash some potential over the next few months, Dallas will have a hard time letting go of someone with his physical gifts.
If the official heights are accurate than Rogers will be the tallest receiver in camp this year. Ventell Bryant and Aaron Parker are listed at 6’3″ and everyone else is shorter.
The fact that “you can’t teach size” works in Kendrick’s favor, but he’s going to have to learn a lot about how to use it if he wants to stick around in Dallas. His low production in college is a big concern, averaging just 343.5 yards and 3.5 touichdowns over the last two seasons.
There’s a lot of room for opportunity on the Cowboys’ WR depth chart in 2020. While they have a clear top-3 with Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and Ceedee Lamb, nothing is certain for the remaining roster spots.
Early contenders are players who we’ve seen in previous regular season games; Noah Brown, Ventell Bryant, Devin Smith, and Cedrick Wilson should all be competitive. Rogers also has to contend with other developmental prospects like Jon’Vea Johnson, Tevin Jones, and Aaron Parker.
Players like Brown, Bryant, and Wilson all have an edge because they bring special teams value on top of their receiving work. Brown and Bryant are both bigger guys who can block and Wilson could wind up as Dallas’ punt returner in 2020.
Working against Kendrick Rogers and other 2020 rookies, especially the undrafted ones, is the lack of summer practice work due to COVID-19. It could be harder than ever for them to be noticed by coaches and compete with more polished prospects.
That said, Kendrick Rogers naturally stands tall on the field and with his ability to make highlight catches. If he can draw some eyeballs with those plays and work on the rest of his game, the competition is open enough that he can at least make the practice squad if not the bottom of the roster.
