CeeDee Lamb was the star of draft night.
No one expected the Oklahoma wide receiver to be the third wide out selected in his stacked class, and certainly no one expected him to last to 17th overall.
But that’s exactly what happened.
Lamb fell right into the Cowboys’ lap that night, and became the newest member in the illustrious “88” club for America’s Team. And while the hyped built all offseason, CeeDee Lamb delivered on high expectations for most of the year.
Lamb finished his rookie campaign with 74 catches for 934 yards and five touchdowns, also getting targeted a total of 111 times. He ended up with 311 yards after the catch as well, though his biggest downfall were his drops. Lamb dropped 8 passes last season per Pro Football Reference, for a total drop rate of 7.2%.
Maybe the biggest drop of Lamb’s season came in the finale. Following a big loss on a sack, the Cowboys faced second and goal from the Giants 17 yard line. Andy Dalton found Lamb over the middle, and it looked like he had room to run and potentially win the game. Instead, he dropped the pass, forcing them into a third and long and ultimately a season ending interception.
The drops were a problem for Lamb, there’s no way around it. But CeeDee gave fans much more reason for optimism than pessimism this season.
Lamb’s final rookie numbers were impressive, but it is jaw dropping to imagine what he could’ve done had Dak Prescott been healthy all season. Through Lamb’s only five games with Prescott, he caught 29 passes for 433 yards and two touchdowns. He was over 15 yards per catch three times in those first five games.
Yes, Prescott exited that fifth game with injury, but you get the point. Lamb was developing into a trusted target for the Cowboys franchise quarterback, and likely would’ve smashed the 1,000 yard receiving mark had Prescott been healthy.
Lamb’s 2021 outlook is even brighter than his 2020 outlook was back in the Spring. With a full NFL season under his belt and his quarterback returning from injury, Lamb should be able to continue his ascent into superstardom during his sophomore year.
With Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup beside him, this Cowboys offense is looking to be an elite passing unit in 2021.
