Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Michael Gallup is still vastly underrated, despite proving he can produce like one of the best in 2019. Maybe it’s his quiet demeanor or having to play second fiddle to Amari Cooper, but I don’t think anyone would argue he’s an ascending player who’s just starting to scratch the surface of his God-given talent.
To say Michael Gallup has improved leaps and bounds from his rookie to sophomore season is an understatement. The scary thing though is he can be even better in Year 3 with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020 if he continues to focus on one little blemish currently on his resume… dropped passes.
Sadly, Michael Gallup finished his 2019 season amongst the worst in the league with 16.5% drop rate on a total of 13 dropped passes. It’s an affliction that plagued nearly all of the Dallas Cowboys wide receivers last year, but one that can be easily improved on if one is willing to put in the work. Thankfully, work ethic and dedication to improve his craft are some of the Gallup’s best qualities.
I went back and watched every single dropped pass Michael Gallup made last season and came to the conclusion this isn’t a case of stone hands. I believe it was merely a lack of focus and concentration, something that plagued him during his time at Colorado State as well. This is the one area I think he needs to work on the most this offseason, because becoming just a little more sure-handed could be a game changer for him.
As you can see, Michael Gallup has no problem catching the ball when he’s locked in and focused. It’s the other times when his focus lapses that’s keeping him from being mentioned in the same breath as some of the top WRs around the league. If he can improve this one little thing though, that should change.
You may disagree, but I would put Michael Gallup in the same WR mold as New Orleans Saints Michael Thomas and Pittsburgh Steelers JuJu Smith-Schuster. I know it might be strange to suggest such a thing, but that doesn’t mean it’s not factual. Their skill sets are really similar, however, Gallup for whatever reason doesn’t receive the same kind of fanfare as the other two right now.
All three are physical, polished intermediate receivers capable of immediately generating leverage off the line of scrimmage due to their urgency and effectiveness against press coverage. What sets Gallup apart from Thomas and Smith-Schuster is his uncanny ability to surprise unsuspecting corners as a vertical threat. Even still, I believe the comparison is pretty spot on.
I think it’s just a matter of time before Michael Gallup finally receives the kind of recognition he deserves. But, that could all hinge on whether or not he cuts down the amount of passes he drops. If I were him, that’s something I’d focus a lot of my attention on improving in order to take my game to an entirely different level.
