Cowboys’ Michael Gallup sits on the precipice of stardom, if he can emerge from shadows

Michael Gallup was the ninth receiver taken in the 2018 NFL Draft. D.J. Moore, Calvin Ridley, Courtland Sutton, Dante Pettis, Christian Kirk, Anthony Miller, James Washington and D.J Chark, all were selected above Gallup. Whether or not Gallup is the best of the bunch is certainly debatable, but there’s no question the value for the third-round pick has been absolutely outstanding.

Gallup, a pending free agent, has been so successful that there is a growing sentiment the team should bring him back and let Amari Cooper go following the 2021 season. Cooper has 224 receptions for 3,028 yards and 19 touchdowns in less than three seasons in Dallas. For there to even be a conversation is a testament to how good Gallup has been. A 15.6 career yards-per-reception average with a ton of volume will do that.

There might be something to the idea Dallas is considering keeping Gallup in the fold, as they’ve restructured almost every contract except for Cooper’s, which is set to pay him $20 million in base salary each season through 2024, but regardless, Gallup has been an extremely successful draft pick for the Dallas Cowboys.

The player profile countdown series continues with No. 13, WR Michael Gallup.

Background Details

Jersey No.: 13 Position: Wide Receiver Age: 25 Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 205 pounds Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia High School: Monroe Area College: Colorado State Draft: 2018, Round 3, No. 81 overall Acquired: Original draft pick

Mini Gallery

(AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

(AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)

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NFL Stats

Player Profile

Gallup had a 2019 sophomore season that put him in the rarefied air of the wide receiver position. Only ten receivers have put up over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns under the age of 24. That list includes the likes of Randy Moss, O'Dell Beckham Jr, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Julio Jones and Calvin Johnson. Gallup's numbers dropped in 2020, but not without reason. Not only did Cowboys have great options at the other two WR spots, but the offense was without its QB and most of their offensive line for much of the season. There are some concerns with Michael Gallup though. In his limited attempts in the top WR spot he hasn't performed like a No. 1 receiver. Against the Jets in 2019, Gallup only caught four of his seven targets for 48 yards and no TDs. This inconsistency, regardless of reasoning, has plagued Gallup. Gallup and Prescott seemed to be on different pages at times in 2020. Gallup was primarily being used for a diversion on deep routes allowing Lamb and Cooper to get the underneath targets. In the five games with Prescott, Gallup only had more than five targets one time. Contrast that to Gallup's targets after Prescott went down, when Gallup had less than five targets only once. At the end of the season the front office and Gallup will have plenty to discuss.

You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or at Youtube on the About the Cowboys Podcast. This profile is part of our countdown series to the regular season. For the full 90-man roster, go here. For our 53-man roster prediction, go here.

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