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.
Lamb is special with the ball in his hands. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/mOmp5hdnKY
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 24, 2020
New #Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb is electric after the catch. Extremely elusive and is a threat to score anytime he touches the ball. pic.twitter.com/VpD4cT89mX
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 24, 2020
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.
Lamb is an alpha at the catch point, showing great ball tracking, impressive ball control, soft hands and an ability to create late separation to consistently be effective in this area.
Love how Lamb actively leans into the DB to give himself space to drift into the catch point. pic.twitter.com/dTkrFM8TpN
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 24, 2020
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.
Another example of Lamb mixing tempos to break rhythm and create separation. Lulls the CB to sleep, sticks outside and quickly accelerates to cross the DB's face to separate for the TD on the slant. pic.twitter.com/M3TuS9TDcr
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 24, 2020
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.
Lol Lamb again puts another poor CB soul in the dirt vs the run. Gets him to commit to running vertically before laying the hammer. pic.twitter.com/4V37OblPHO
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 24, 2020
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.
