Are the Cowboys changing tune on WR preferences in front of our eyes?

The Dallas Cowboys are one of the more forthright organizations in the NFL when it comes to the player profile preferences. Two well-known tenets are that they prefer their cornerbacks tall with outstanding arm length, and their wide receivers tall with dominant size and a physical nature.

The team has drafted 14 wideouts over the past 15 seasons and rarely have they selected a WR under 6-foot or below 190 pounds. Just twice has that happened and raising the threshold to 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds still leaves 10 on the right side of the line in the sand. When they dipped below, that player was taken on Day 3, often times late.  Things might be changing heading into the 2023 draft, however.

The Cowboys are digging in on some of the smaller receivers and might be interested in selecting one in late April.

The known smaller targets

While it’s not surprising to see the Cowboys looking into WRs, it is interesting to note that three of the receivers on that list aren’t the prototypical size fit. Boston College WR Zay Flowers is 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, UNC receiver Josh Downs is 5-foot-10, 175 pounds and Houston’s Nathaniel ‘Tank’ Dell stands at 5-foot-10 and weighs just 165 pounds.

All three are projected to be top-50 selections in April. Flowers could go as high as No. 15 and Downs and Dell are both projected as late-first, early second prospects.

Dell led the nation in receiving yards (1,398) and touchdowns (17) last season, while catching 109 balls. The diminutive receiver also put on a show at the Senior Bowl.

In 11 games last year, Downs caught 94 passes for 1,029 yards and 12 scores, while averaging 15.3 yards a catch. Despite his size, Downs is tough in traffic and has no problem making contested catches.

Flowers also had 12 touchdowns last season to go along with 1,077 yards. The BC product might have the best open field running ability of the three and is difficult to tackle in space.

Why the change?

As an offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore was raised under the tutelage of Jason Garrett and Scott Linehan. When Mike McCarthy came in as head coach, he allowed Moore and the offense to operate under the same umbrella. With McCarthy taking over full control of the offense in 2023, things appear to be changing.

While Moore’s offense was predicated on receivers being more physical than defenders, McCarthy’s appears more open to guys who can get open quickly and dominate after the catch. The mixture of wideout types being looked at could signal that different skillsets are being considered to compliment each other and do different things.

The Cowboys are checking out some of the bigger receivers in the draft, but it’s significant they’re doing their homework on some of the smaller prospects as well. Could this be a sign of the times changing in Dallas, or it could be an outlier for this year only since some of the best WRs are smaller?

Either way, the Cowboys are leaving no stone unturned in this draft.

Rundown of previous Cowboys WR selections in recent years

2009: Seventh round – Manual Johnson: 6-foot-1, 183 pounds. He didn’t make a dent with the Cowboys, bringing in one reception for six yards.

2010: First round – Dez Bryant: 6-foot-2, 220 pounds. Bryant was a star with the Cowboys and became their all-time leader in receiving touchdowns.

2011: Sixth round – Dwayne Harris: 5-foot-10, 215 pounds. Harris was used more a return specialist who had two punt returns for touchdowns with the Cowboys.

2012: Fifth round – Danny Coale: 6-feet, 185 pounds. Coale suffered multiple injuries with the Cowboys and never played a down in the regular season.

2013: Third round – Terrance Williams: 6-foot-2, 215 pounds. The former Baylor WR spent six seasons in Dallas and had solid career that included 20 touchdowns. Williams’ biggest game was a two-touchdown performance in the wild card win over the Detroit Lions, which includes the game-winning score.

2014: Fifth round – Devin Street: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. Street had 10 career catches and one touchdown, almost all of which came with the Cowboys over two seasons.

2017: Fourth round – Ryan Switzer: 5-foot-9, 183 pounds. Switzer did little in his one year with the team before they traded him.

2017: Seventh round – Noah Brown: 6-foot-2, 210 pounds. Brown stuck around in Dallas for six seasons, despite not producing much until the 2022 campaign, which was his best. The former Ohio St. WR had 43 catches for 555 yards and all three of his career touchdowns.

2018: Third round – Michael Gallup: 6-foot-1, 205 pounds. Gallup has been a good WR for the Cowboys, earning a second contract and has an 1,100-yard season under his belt.

2018: Sixth round – Cedrick Wilson: 6-foot-2, 197 pounds. It took a little while for Wilson to stay healthy enough to contribute, but in 2021 he broke out with clutch plays and his best statistical year. Wilson got a nice payday in free agency last offseason with the Miami Dolphins.

2019: The Cowboys traded a first round pick for Amari Cooper, who is 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds. Cooper is a four-time Pro Bowl WR.

2020: First round – CeeDee Lamb: 6-foot-2, 197 pounds. Lamb has turned into a star and one of the league’s best receivers. In 2022, Lamb exploded for 107 catches, 1,359 yards and nine scores as a Second-Team All-Pro.

2021: Fifth round – Simi Fehoko: 6-foot-4, 218 pounds. The third year WR has struggled to stay produce, with just three career catches.

2022: Third round – Jalen Tolbert: 6-foot-1, 195 pounds. In his rookie year, Tolbert failed to make an impression, catching just two passes for 12 yards. There is still time for Tolbert to be a good WR.

That’s just one selection which missed both the height or weight requirements for the Cowboys. That WR, Switzer, lasted just one season before being traded.

Addendum

Dallas also rarely adds WRs who are small in stature, the only two who have made any impact over the same 15-year period were Cole Beasley (UDFA) and Randall Cobb (UFA). Beasley had a very good seven-year run with the Cowboys and Cobb had one solid season before signing somewhere else.

Other free agent or trade additions who have had success in Dallas include Terrell Owens and Laurent Robinson, both of whom were over 6-foot-2.

Story originally appeared on Cowboys Wire