Cowboys @ 49ers player to watch: Cedrick Wilson

With Amari Cooper nursing a heel injury, Dallas Cowboys’ wide receivers, Randall Cobb, Micahel Gallup, Tavon Austin, and Jon’Vea Johnson have generated lots of buzz early this training camp. While Cobb and Gallup have a guaranteed spot on the 53-man roster come September, Austin and Johnson do not, but have been two of the most talked about wideouts battling for the fourth and fifth receiver spot.

On the flip side, one of the more under-the-radar Dallas Cowboys this training camp has been wide receiver Cedrick Wilson. The sixth-round draft pick out of Boise State missed all of the 2018 season with a shoulder injury.

While at Boise State, which just so happens to be the alma matter of new Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Wilson posted outstanding production. In two years, he caught 139 passes for 2,640 yards and an extremely impressive 18 touchdowns. He also averaged 19 yards per catch, showing his ability to make plays deep down the field.

Despite the setback of missing his entire rookie season, Wilson continued to battle and returned healthy and ready to go in 2019. Through the first two weeks of training camp, Wilson has shown his ability to do a little bit of everything. At 6’5 the second-year man is not your typical slot receiver, but that is where he’s lined up some in camp.

A big part of that has been learning to play slot receiver. Wilson was mainly an outside threat in college, but the the Cowboys’ coaching staff has asked him to try his hand inside.

“Ultimately as a slot receiver, you want to be someone the quarterback wants to go to, he trusts,” said Cowboys coach Jason Garrett. “He can win in critical moments to keep drives alive. You have to be smart. You have to be savvy.”

He is versatile, though, as he is able to line up outside when needed, has been active on special teams and even run the ball occasionally as well this training camp.

“Any opportunity, I love it,” he said. “Any chance they call me to get in there, I’m going to get in there and run the play to the best of my ability. And then when I get done doing it, I’m going to ask what I should have done better.”

The former Boise State Bronco became sort of the forgotten wide receiver at the beginning of camp, but lately Wilson has started to generate some buzz. Cowboys wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal gave Wilson lots of praise when talking about the wideouts on Thursday.

Here are a couple of clips of Wilson coming on strong this week in camp.

With Amari Cooper guaranteed out for Saturday’s gamer against the 49ers, and Randall Cobb and Michael Gallup likely to only play one or two series max, the opportunities will be plentiful for Wilson. He likely will get some time in the slot once Cobb exits the game, so we will get to see his skill set on full display.

After over a year in the National Football league, Wilson will finally get his chance to make his NFL debut on Saturday night. With the praise he has gotten from Sanjay Lal, it seems like the coaching staff will give the wideout every opportunity he can to make this team. With his versatility, size, and ability to contribute on special teams, it seems like Cedrick Wilson may be trending in the direction of claiming one of the last receiver spots on this talented roster.

“Whenever they need me -- whether it’s the fourth receiver, the sixth receiver – just trying to make that group of guys and put my all in on special teams,” he said. “That’s usually what the non-starting three guys have to do to be a big part of that.”