NFL Draft 2023: Cowboys could be targeting wide receiver with first-round selection

It’s been 27 years since Jerry Jones’ Cowboys hoisted a Vince Lombardi Trophy. Jones, based on the Cowboys’ pre-draft plans, is hell-bent on making sure that his team’s title drought doesn’t reach 28 years. 

After yet another disappointing ending to a once promising season, it appears that the Cowboys are going on the offensive, literally. The Cowboys, owners of the 26th overall pick, have met with several top receiver prospects who include Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Josh Downs, Quentin Johnston, Zay Flowers and Jalin Hyatt.

While each one has their strengths and weaknesses, Smith-Njigba is the most interesting of the wideouts. He spent the first half of his college career in the shadow of future first-round picks Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. He took full advantage of his opportunity to play when Wilson and Olave opted out of Ohio State’s showdown with Utah in the 2022 Rose Bowl. With fellow first-round draft prospect C.J. Stroud throwing him the ball, Njigba put up video game-like numbers: 15 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns. His play helped the Buckeyes overcame a 21-7 deficit to pull out a 48-45 win. 

Unfortunately for him and the Buckeyes, a hamstring injury sidelined Njigba for most of his final season in Columbus. He says that he is fully healed, however, which is one of the reasons why he remains a first-round draft projection. 

“I just think my playmaking ability is second to none in this draft,” he recently told ESPN. “From playing basketball [as a kid], I feel like my creativity is what sets me apart also. Being able to create and react to the defender is the strong point in my game, and taking advantage of that. I just try to use all those qualities and get the job done.”

The Cowboys drafting a wideout with the 26th pick makes plenty of sense. While CeeDee Lamb put up big numbers last season, no other Cowboys wideout had more than 555 receiving yards. Tight end Dalton Schultz, who signed with the Texans in free agency, finished as Dallas’ second-leading receiver last season. 

Dallas already addressed receiver during free agency by trading for Brandin Cooks, who has posted 1,000-yard campaigns for four different franchises. But given Jones’ desire to win, along with the fact that the Cowboys lost several offensive weapons this offseason, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Cowboys chose to further add to a receivers room that already includes Lamb, Cooks, Noah Brown and Michael Gallup. 

Despite their clear interest at receiver, none of our six CBS Sports NFL Draft experts have the Cowboys taking a wideout with the 26th pick. Four of our experts have the Cowboys using the pick to select a tight end, while two other experts have Dallas using the pick to select Texas running back Bijan Robinson to replace Ezekiel Elliott. 

Regardless of the position, it appears like a sure bet that Dallas will draft a skill player in the first round. That will certainly be just fine for Prescott, who is trying to become the first quarterback to take Dallas to the big game since Troy Aikman led the Cowboys to three Super Bowls during the 1990s.