The Dallas Cowboys have a large group of prospects hoping to fill out the bottom of their wide receiver depth chart in 2020. One of them is Tevin Jones, and he’s probably one you either haven’t thought about in a while or even knew existed. But he may bring more to this discussion than you realize.
Jones entered the NFL in 2016 and an undrafted WR out of Memphis. He signed with the Houston Texans and didn’t make it past final cuts. After a brief stint on their practice squad, he tried to catch on with Kansas City in 2017 but again failed to make the roster.
The Steelers added Tevin during the 2018 offseason and he finally found a more stable NFL existence. He spent all of that year on Pittsburgh’s practice squad, then returned the following year. He was a productive preseason WR those two seasons, recording nine catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns.
Jones got called up to the 53-man roster in November of last season and appeared in five games. He got his first real NFL stats with four catches for 61 yards. But the Steelers released him in mid December to make room for Amara Darboh, a former 3rd-Round pick.
Tevin didn’t have to wait long for a new home, joining the Cowboys’ practice squad two days after being cut by Pittsburgh. He signed a reserve/future contract with Dallas following the 2019 season and remains part of their roster today, awaiting the start of training camp.
There’s a reason that Tevin Jones has attracted interest from four different NFL teams. On top of good size at 6’2″ and around 220 lbs, he also ran a 4.48 in the 40-yard-dash at the 2016 combine.
Jones enters the 2020 WR battle for the Cowboys with size, speed, and some real NFL experience. Despite the numbers, could he be a contender for a roster spot?
The Cowboys are the envy of most NFL teams with their top three receivers. Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and Ceedee Lamb form a trio that won’t be challenged by any of our other 2020 prospects.
That leaves probably 2-3 other roster spots on the depth chart, and there’s a long list of names of projected backups before you start considering Tevin Jones.
The current favorites are Devin Smith, Cedrick Wilson, Ventell Bryant, and Noah Brown, who’ve all contributed to the Cowboys offense in small ways over the last few years. Bryant, Brown, and Wilson also have potential special teams roles working in their favor.
Another contender is Jon’Vea Johnson, a hot name from last year’s training camp who fell apart during the preseason. If he’s able to grow his game in this second season, especially by cutting out the drops, Johnson could easily earn a roster spot.
Along with these returning players are a new crop of undrafted rookies. You never know what Stephen Guidry, Aaron Parker, or Kendrick Rogers could do once they hit the practice field, and we all know how coaches get enamored with the shiny new toys.
One thing Tevin Jones doesn’t have going for him his youth, turning 28 in December. But with their top three receivers all young themselves and with multiple years left on their contracts, Dallas’ top concerns for the bench spots will be players who can contribute right now on offense and special teams.
Jones has the size, speed, and experience to be a factor in that discussion. This will be his first offseason in Dallas and, with the arrival of a new coaching staff, past pecking orders have been mostly demolished.
This makes Tevin Jones, despite his current lack of attention, and legitimate contender in the Cowboys’ 2020 WR competition.
