FRISCO, Texas – Watch the replay of CeeDee Lamb's latest Camp Cowboys highlight -- a beautiful over-the-shoulder catch in stride from Dak Prescott against veteran cornerback Daryl Worley -- and you might forget the rookie wide receiver has had 11 total NFL practices.
The 21-year-old first-round draft pick can make things look easy. His fast start to training camp is no coincidence.
Lamb is joining an offense that already has two 1,000-yard receivers. Unlike his All-American days at Oklahoma, he won't have to be the primary focal point every week.
But Lamb says he has a "huge responsibility" to make the NFL transition fairly quickly "because I feel like I can play early and make an impact on this offense."
That's why he's asking the veterans, including four-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper, constant questions about their craft in the Cowboys' offensive system.
Cooper says Lamb has "the overall package" to be an instant contributor at the position. He's happy to help.
"Just small things on route running -- how to run this route or how to run that route," Cooper said. "Just small tips on how DBs at this level play.
"I'm an open book. Give him everything that I have, all the knowledge that I have about whatever question that he has and hope that he runs with it and hope that it's helpful."
Few NFL receivers are better, and more meticulous, route runners than Cooper. He has compared that part of his job to an artist painting on a canvas.
Lamb couldn't ask for a better resource.
"Seeing him run routes every day is actually, it's ridiculous," Lamb said. "The man can get in and out of his routes like nobody I've seen. Just seeing him work every day, asking him questions, picking his brain, getting a little knowledge, tips for whatever he has in his game that he wants to pass down to me to add into my game, I feel like I'm taking all of that in consideration. I'm asking as many questions as possible and he's answering them. I appreciate him for that."
All the wideouts have a new voice in the receivers room. Adam Henry, the Cowboys' new position coach, has worked with NFL stars such as Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry in college and the pros.
Henry thinks the projected top three on the depth chart -- Cooper, Michael Gallup and Lamb -- could be the most talented trio he has coached. One reason is the chemistry they've already developed on the field and in the meeting room.
"The one thing that helps you for a great foundation is these guys come to work every day, they enjoy practice and the bonding process is going really, really well between the three of them," Henry said. "In between meetings you watch body language, you watch in between plays when they're out, they're talking about football, talking about different things. And also when we're doing special teams fundamentals, we get in the groups and guess who's in the group? Those three.
"Being the youngest of eight, I watched a lot of things. I study a lot of things, and just watching their body language and the chemistry of them and it's coming together. It's a good thing to see."
And it could be a problem for opposing defenses -- especially with Lamb's commitment to being a quick study.
