Noah Brown is now the longest-tenured wide receiver on the Cowboys roster. While he generally gets ignored in discussions about the 2022 depth chart, could the veteran’s experience in the NFL and with Dallas’ offense make him a surprising contributor early in the season?
We all know the story about the WR position; Michael Gallup’s recovery from ACL surgery could extend into September and cause him to miss games. CeeDee Lamb’s got the WR1 spot covered but generally considered to be next in line are 3rd-round rookie Jalen Tolbert and veteran journeyman James Washington, a newly-signed free agent.
You’ll find that any projected WR depth chart for 2022 has Tolbert, Washington, and maybe even Simi Fehoko listed ahead of Noah Brown. But still just 26 years old and entering his sixth season with the Cowboys, Brown has a significant experience advantage over his competition.
Of course, talent trumps all these other factors. Brown was just a 7th-round pick in 2017 compared to Washington being a 2nd-rounder in 2018, Fehoko a 4th-round pick last year, and Tolbert being selected in the 3rd round just a few months ago.
Noah has survived in the NFL longer than many late-round picks thanks to being a reliable special teams player and occasionally contributing as a blocking receiver. But despite appearing in 50 games over the last five years, Brown only has 39 catches on 66 targets to his name.
If given a choice between Noah having a meaningful share of targets in 2022 or not even making the roster, most would guess the latter. But consider the following:
- James Washington and Jalen Tolbert have never played a single down for the Cowboys.
- Simi Fehoko only had seven snaps on offense last year and was never targeted.
So while a minor figure on Dallas’ roster the last few years, Noah Brown brings something unique to the 2022 WR competition. And now, unlike most of his run so far in Dallas, Brown doesn’t have a long list of clearly superior options keeping him buried on the depth chart.
Sure, the hope would be that Washington, Tolbert, and Fehoko’s perceived talent eventually shines through. But in September, if Gallup’s out and with only camp and preseason work to go by, could the coaches’ and Dak Prescott’s familiarity with Noah get him on the field more than usual?
Brown’s prowess as a blocker could also be a factor here. If the Cowboys lean more on their run game during Gallup’s potential absence, Noah could get to see more snaps for that side of his game as well.
Again, most won’t be surprised if he doesn’t even make the 2022 roster. But the point here is that there’s a reasonable case, perhaps better than ever before, for Noah Brown to be a meaningful offensive contributor at least early in the season.
