(Editor's Note: Over the next month, the staff of DallasCowboys.com is looking to answer the 20 biggest questions facing the team heading into 2021. Today, we'll see if the wide receiver trio can each hit the 1,000-yard mark.)
FRISCO, Texas – When Amari Cooper said last offseason, several eyebrows went up and perhaps a few chuckles came from the media as well.
Three 1,000-yard receivers? On one team? Not to mention the fact the Cowboys had Ezekiel Elliott and were still considered a running team that wanted to control the clock.
But Cooper was serious about the notion the Cowboys could have three receivers surpass 1,000 yards with the addition of CeeDee Lamb to go along with Cooper and Michael Gallup.
Well, we all know what happened in 2020. The offensive line suffered injury after injury and then Dak went down in Week 5, resulting in the Cowboys having to start four different quarterbacks throughout the year.
With all that, the three receivers still made a run at the goal. Amari Cooper led the way with 1,114 yards, while Lamb had 935 yards as a rookie and Gallup finished with 843.
But the Cowboys are getting their quarterback back and he'll have his two starting offensive tackles blocking for him again.
Let's see if that paves the way for the receivers to have the big season they're all expecting.
15) Can Cooper, Gallup & CeeDee Surpass 1,000?
Kyle Youmans: Not to sound overly optimistic or delusional, I definitely think it could happen. We only need to look back at 2020 to really show us how possible it is to see all three receivers hit that thousand yard mark. Cooper finished with over 1,000 yards while Lamb fell just 65 yards shy with Gallup not too far behind. But the reemergence of Dak Prescott in the lineup is the key that will obviously make this more likely. Lamb was on pace for just under 1,400 yards in his rookie campaign while averaging 86.6 yards per game prior to Prescott's injury. Gallup was on pace for at least a thousand yards on the year during the first five weeks of the seasonal well. A time when some would argue he was still finding a rhythm. Sure, it hasn't been done since the 2008 Cardinals, but there's no reason this talented passing attack shouldn't be able to reach that mark, especially with the expected improvement of having their starting quarterback in the fold.
Jonny Auping: I wouldn't exactly call it a safe bet, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that they'll all reach 1,00 yards, even if one of them only gets there by a hair. It feels like an extremely tall task when you factor all the weapons that the Cowboys have and how the Cowboys could very absolutely win a game when one of those three receivers has a game with two receptions for less than 30 yards. CeeDee Lamb's sophomore season is probably what I'm most looking forward to in 2021, and I think Michael Gallup is going to earn himself a big contract in 2022. Injuries have been a concern in the past for Amari Cooper, but he's explosive enough to miss two games and still reach 1,000 yards. Ultimately, I think the 17th game is going to be the difference that gets all three to reach the mark, and I'm guessing the Cowboys' defense didn't quite improve enough to prevent the offense from having to play from behind in a number of games this season.
David Helman: We didn't get to truly answer this question last year, because the passing game nose-dived after Dak Prescott's injury. But I think this has a legit chance to happen. Obviously, you want the offense to be balanced, but even with a healthy running game, this is a lot of receiver talent – and don't forget there's an extra game. If everyone stays healthy, I truly think it will happen this time around.
