Everyone thought the Dallas Cowboys would go the defensive route at the beginning of the NFL Draft. Players such as CJ Henderson, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Xavier McKinney were being linked to the Cowboys the most. However, when the middle of the first round came about, one of the top prospects in the draft was still on the board, at a position of need for the Cowboys that wasn’t on defense.
CeeDee Lamb, regarded by most as the best wide receiver coming out of the college ranks, fell right into the Cowboys lap and he was selected with the 17th overall pick, solving their need in the slot. Now, along with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, the Cowboys have arguably the most formidable wide receiver trio in the NFL. Lamb isn’t a one-trick pony, though, as his skill set has many layers to it.
Dynamic after the catch
It’s one thing to get open on a route downfield and make huge plays, but with Lamb, you don’t have to wait that long. He has amazing filed vision and is so elusive that you can get the ball to him early and let him create in space. The use of shallow crosses, slants, wide receiver screens, and hitch routes can really take advantage of this aspect of Lamb’s game.
Gets great separation/attacks the football at the highest point
One thing you don’t want for your receivers to do is to catch the football with their bodies but rather with their hands, especially when it comes to contested passes. You want your receiver to be aggressive and attack the football in the air, which Lamb does very ell. He’s able to adjust his body in mid-air and extends his arms, much like former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant. Also, he has the patience to let plays develop to get the necessary separation he needs to get open.
Makes quick decisions and shows patience
You always want your receiver to be quick in their decision making after catching the ball. Lamb displays this type of ability which attributed to him averaging 21.4 yards per reception in 2019. Also, he is very patient and keeps defensive backs off-balance by mixing up tempos on his routes.
Excellent blocker
The most underrated aspect of playing wide receiver is blocking. Lamb takes this aspect of his game very seriously. This is very encouraging when you consider other weapons like Cooper, Gallup, and Ezekiel Elliott on the Cowboys offense. You can get these guys the ball in space and have the opportunity to really gain huge chunks of yardage with Lamb blocking downfield.
Yards and touchdowns may get the recognition but it’s the little things that make CeeDee Lamb such a special player. Now, it’ll be interesting to see how his skills mix with that of the other weapons the Cowboys offense has at their disposal.
