As things stand, the Cowboys 2024 wide receivers’ room is a bit of a muddle. Star CeeDee Lamb is holding out amid a contract dispute, No. 2 man Brandin Cooks will turn 31 next month and is in the final year of his contract, and there is no clear-cut No. 3 on the roster. No matter how things shake out with Lamb, the Cowboys are going to need an infusion of talent at the position.
And it just so happens that the 2025 NFL draft might have some pass-catchers worth plucking for the Cowboys. At the analysis site The 33rd Team, the Cowboys are predicted to add one of the nation’s top receivers, Emeka Egbuka, who could be in for a big year after coming back from ankle surgery and taking over the top role at Ohio State.
Egbuka is the No. 3 rated wide receiver heading into the year at Pro Football Focus, and the No. 14 prospect overall. The Cowboys, in the 33rd Team mock, are picking 26th, so landing Egbuka would be a bit of a steal. Again, he is coming back from a procedure known as “tightrope surgery” on his left ankle, so he will need to show he hasn’t lost his speed.
If he does, the Cowboys would surely welcome him.
Emeka Egbuka Coming Off Ankle Surgery
In outlining the Cowboys’ pick in his article, titled, “2025 NFL Mock Draft: Latest Predictions As Preseason Kicks Off,” writer Ian Valentino notes that Egbuka has some of the same qualities as Lamb:
“Unless the Dallas Cowboys see Jalen Tolbert breakout this season, there’s a massive need for a quality second playmaker next to CeeDee Lamb.
“Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka is similar to Lamb as someone who wins all over the field and in different roles so the two can coexist and thrive together. Egbuka’s well-roundedness will help him contribute better on Day 1 than most in this class.”
The Cowboys certainly need that. While they’re hopeful that former third-round pick Jalen Tolbert takes a leap forward this season and eventually settles in as the No. 3 receiver—and possibly No. 2 next year—it’s likely they will need more depth and talent at the position going forward.
The 2024 draft was well-stocked with receivers, but the Cowboys made rebuilding the offensive line and adding some defensive pieces their clear focus in this draft. They used a sixth-rounder to pick Ryan Flournoy from Southeast Missouri State.
The 2025 draft should have some good pass-catchers, too. Beyond Egbuka, Luther Burden of Missouri and Tetairoa McMillan of Arizona are expected to be Top 10 picks, while Elic Ayomanor (Stanford) and Isaiah Bond (Texas) are ranked as first-rounders at PFF.
Cowboys Still Working Through CeeDee Lamb Contract
As for the Lamb situation, he is continuing his holdout from camp in Oxnard, California, while he awaits a new contract extension from the Cowboys that will make him one of the highest paid receivers in the game. Lamb set franchise records in 2023 with 135 catches and 1,749 yards.
Owner Jerry Jones addressed the Lamb situation, along with that of quarterback Dak Prescott, this week.
“They’re just progressing, in my mind,” Jones said, via The Athletic.
“I would say that we’re talking. I would not have a legitimate progress point there at all. And I really don’t have it for Lamb, either. And it’s not negative. I’m just thinking it wouldn’t do any good to talk about progress.”
