Cedrick Wilson could provide big upside to Cowboys offense and special teams

The Cowboys have had an interesting competition at the wide receiver position throughout training camp as we have seen many, especially Devin Smith, step up and flourish in front of the coaching staff — especially in game situations.

Amari Cooper is a Pro Bowl-caliber talent and Michael Gallup has done absolutely nothing to quiet down the storm of hype coming his way entering his second season in the league. Randall Cobb has the potential to be an upgrade in the slot and Tavon Austin is a highlight waiting to happen.

One player that could add another dimension to this offense is 2018 sixth-round draft pick Cedrick Wilson. Wilson, who spent his entire rookie season on IR, has shown enough flashes to excite many of what he can potentially be. In fact, as fellow BTB front page writer DannyPhantom points out, each of Wilson’s grabs this preseason have gone for a first down. That’s pretty impressive.

Wilson blossomed into an all-conference wide receiver at Boise State following a stint on the JUCO level. The Memphis native recorded 2,640 yards and 18 touchdowns on 139 catches (19.0 average yards per catch) during his two seasons playing on the blue turf for the Broncos.

The Cowboys wide receiver was able to show off what he could do after the catch, often blowing by secondaries en route to the end zone. Here is just one, of many, examples of Wilson doing just that during his collegiate career.

Wilson was a problem for defenses week in and week out. His size and ability to separate and get open from defenders often resulted in big plays for Boise State during both the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

It seemed as if Wilson had an answer for any coverage that defensive coordinators threw at him. The high school quarterback knew how to beat his man, and he often made that guy pay — over and over again.

One of the things that made Wilson an intriguing prospect coming out of Boise was his ability to impact the game on special teams — an area that we know Jason Garrett and company really like.

The Broncos used Wilson in the return game, returning 31 kickoffs for 742 yards and 10 punts for 132 yards for Boise State. We saw a little glimpse of what he can provide in that aspect in last week’s blowout preseason victory over the Houston Texans on this play:

We often see position battles come down to special teams, and Wilson has done nothing to hurt himself in that regard — which is certainly a good sign for his chances of making the 53-man squad this weekend.

Kellen Moore (who is also a Boise State guy, by the way) was promoted, in large part, to modernize the offense and take the unit to the next level. While Dak Prescott, (likely) Ezekiel Elliott, and Amari Cooper will be the main three tasked with making that come to fruition, guys like Cedrick Wilson also have the ability to add a dynamic to the offense.

Wilson has the ability to stretch the field and be a reliable target for Prescott in the opportunities he is given. We know Will McClay and company value their draft picks, so we could see some chances for Wilson to make an impact.

With Noah Brown more likely beginning the season on PUP, a sixth roster spot for a wide receiver is open. The electric and speedy Devin Smith has had a helluva preseason that should get him on the squad, but the steady and reliable Cedrick Wilson isn’t one to be forgotten about, either.