Heading into training camp, the wide receiver battle for the back half of the depth chart is one the under radar position battles to watch. After Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and Randall Cobb, there are no certainties among a wide receiver group that is very deep. There are talented veterans, draft picks, and undrafted free agents battling it out for the final three or four spots on the roster. The competition opened up a little more after the release of veteran Wide Receiver Allen Hurns on Tuesday.
The player that stands to benefit the most is second-year wide receiver, Cedrick Wilson.
During his first season with the Dallas Cowboys, sixth-round pick Cedrick Wilson was turning heads, leading a lot of people to believe that he’d be on the 53-man roster heading into week one of the 2018 season. Unfortunately for Wilson, he tore his labrum, which forced him to miss the entirety of his rookie season.
It was a disappointing start to a career that looks promising after being highly productive over his final two seasons at Boise State University.
| Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
| *2016 | Boise State | MWC | JR | WR | 12 | 56 | 1129 | 20.2 | 11 |
| *2017 | Boise State | MWC | SR | WR | 14 | 83 | 1511 | 18.2 | 7 |
| Career | Boise State | 139 | 2640 | 19.0 | 18 |
Over his final two seasons at Boise State, Wilson averaged 19 yards per reception on 139 receptions. That’s a better number than what Marquise Brown put up at Oklahoma, though Brown played against much tougher competition.
At Boise State, Wilson didn’t win with elite speed like Brown, but he was able to win with good size and athleticism. Though he didn’t have elite speed, Wilson was able to consistently get behind the defense for big plays in the passing game. He’s a good route runner who is able to run a full route tree and play all over the formation. He’s a slippery player who was able to break tackles and make people miss picking up big yards after the catch even on passes in the short part of the field.
Cedrick Wilson could be yet another sixth-round draft pick that has worked out for the Dallas Cowboys in recent years. Following Anthony Brown and Kavon Frazier in 2016 and Xavier Woods in 2017, Wilson has the opportunity to carve out a role on the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver depth chart.
Wilson can function in the slot with his route running ability and has the size to win over the middle. The NFL has started using bigger wide receivers in the slot like Michael Thomas in New Orleans or Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona and Cedrick Wilson has the size and ability to be a functional player there as well. He also has the ability to play on the outside, which makes him a perfect backup for the Dallas Cowboys. Wilson can fill in for Gallup, Cooper, or Cobb if called upon. His ability to play across the formation is similar to that of Allen Hurns, which makes Wilson a solid option to replace Hurns’ role on the wide receiver depth chart.
2019 is a very important training camp for Cedrick Wilson. Though he’s a former draft pick, he needs to establish himself as an option for the Dallas Cowboys. He has the talent to be a depth option for the team, but he needs to stay healthy and show it on a consistent basis.
