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Cowboys news: “They actually did it!” Dallas goes best player & adds WR CeeDee Lamb to stacked offense

The Cowboys decided to not let their needs get in the way of adding one heck of a football player.

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NCAA Football: Big 12 Championship-Baylor vs Oklahoma Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

CeeDee Lamb falls to Dallas Cowboys to select with 17th pick in NFL draft - Todd Archer, ESPN
Former Oklahoma star CeeDee Lamb dropped to the 17th pick in Thursday night's draft and Dallas was there to snag him, giving QB Dak Prescott another talented wideout to join Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup.

A first-team All-American and a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, Lamb was one of the nation’s most productive FBS receivers in 2019, catching 62 passes for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns. His yardage and receiving totals were both fifth best nationally.

Lamb recorded at least 800 receiving yards in each of his three seasons with the Sooners, including more than 1,100 yards in his past two seasons.

At 6-foot-2, 191 pounds, Lamb gives the Cowboys arguably the top big-play threat in this year’s draft. His 21.4 yards per reception ranked third in FBS in 2019, and of his 62 receptions, 26 of them went for at least 20 yards.

1st-Round Pick CeeDee Lamb Can Elevate Offense - Rob Phillips, DallasCowboys.com
With the addition of CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys offense could reach a new level of excellence.

The Rundown: This might have been a classic case of best player available. Most draft observers predicted Lamb would be long gone by No. 17, and the Cowboys’ top needs are arguably pass rush and secondary depth. But Lamb’s talent was too much to pass up. Perhaps the best receiver prospect in the draft, Lamb piled up back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and 32 total receiving touchdowns in three years in Oklahoma’s high-octane offense. A consensus All-American last year, Lamb’s high-end production helped the Sooners reach the College Football Playoff.

Cowboys select CeeDee Lamb with 17th overall pick - Charean Williams, ProFootballTalk
The Cowboys weren't expecting a player like WR CeeDee Lamb to be available at 17 but kudos to them for taking him right off that draft board.

So the Cowboys got another weapon on offense, bypassing an opportunity to help their defense, which has lost Byron Jones, Michael Bennett, Robert Quinn, Maliek Collins and Jeff Heath since last season.

They could have had Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs, Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray or Alabama safety Xavier McKinney.

When the Falcons surprisingly selected Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell, the Cowboys quickly turned in the selection.

NFL Draft results 2020: The Dallas Cowboys select CeeDee Lamb with the 17th pick - Dave Halprin, Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys have added help to their wide receiver corps in a major way.

The Dallas Cowboys have selected CeeDee Lamb, wide receiver from Oklahoma, with the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2020 draft.

#TeamFortyBurger

Even though the Cowboys have Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup already on the roster, they didn’t flinch when CeeDee Lamb somehow slipped all the way to #17. Lamb was considered by many scouts to be the best wide receiver in the draft and was supposed to easily go before Dallas was on the clock. When he didn’t, the Cowboys made sure to take the best player available.

Lamb spent some time in the slot in college, so he gives the Cowboys a lot of versatility with their receiving corps. Having three quality wideouts will stress defenses in a passing league. The Cowboys added strength to strength, but they couldn’t pass on value like Lamb.

What Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb will bring to the Dallas Cowboys – Jason Kersey, The Athletic
Even in one of the deepest wide receiver draft classes ever, Lamb was considered elite. He will be bringing top-tier college production to Dallas.

The greatest wide receiver in Oklahoma history was ready for his close-up. Little more than a month ago, he had a suit picked out for his trip to the NFL Draft in Las Vegas.

Those plans, obviously, changed. His gridiron plans, though? Those are a go following his Thursday night selection, at 17th to Dallas, in the NFL Draft. Even in one of the deepest wide receiver draft classes ever, Lamb was considered elite.

In three seasons at Oklahoma, Lamb caught 173 passes for 3,292 yards and 32 touchdowns, averaging 19 yards per catch; his yards-per-catch average is the highest in school history among players with at least 130 receptions. He averaged 21.4 yards per catch last season, which ended with him as a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist. Lamb ranks first in school history with 24 career receptions of at least 40 yards and with six games of at least 160 receiving yards.

NFL Draft Results: Cowboys get CeeDee Lamb at No. 17 - Brandon Lee Gowton, Bleeding Green Nation
The Eagles were just starting to get their hopes up for CeeDee Lamb before the Cowboys swooped in and gave them a sad.

Well, this sucks!

It looked like the Philadelphia Eagles had a chance at landing CeeDee Lamb as he fell further than expected in the 2020 NFL Draft. Instead, the Eagles will be tasked with defending Lamb twice per season as he plays for the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys took Lamb at No. 17 overall.

Ugh.

Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Michael Gallup is a pretty, pretty nice wide receiver corps for Dak Prescott to work with. Interesting how you’re allowed to actually help your franchise quarterback like that!

The value of adding a Top WR like Lamb outweighed needs elsewhere - Zeke Barrera, CowboysWire
It was a no-brainer, don't overthink it.

Finally ending months of speculation, Dallas went in a different direction than many expected, and picked one of the top WR prospects available with their first round selection.

The team still has holes remaining in the secondary, but the value of an impact receiver like Lamb receiver was too good to pass up. The former Oklahoma Sooner hauled in 173 receptions for 3,292 yards and 32 touchdowns over three years in college, playing for one of the most explosive offenses in the country.

Dallas Cowboys select Oklahoma Sooners WR CeeDee Lamb with No. 17 overall pick in the NFL draft - Spenser Davis, SportsDay DFW
The Cowboys fought the urge to reach for a defensive end or safety because CeeDee Lamb was too good to pass up.

Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has been selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the 17th overall pick in Round 1 of the 2020 NFL draft.

Dallas chose the dynamic wide receiver with defensive players such as Alabama safety Xavier McKinney and LSU defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson still on the board.

Lamb’s first-round selection means the Sooners have had receivers go on Day 1 in back-to-back years. The Ravens took Marquise Brown in the first round in the 2019 NFL draft.

Scouting report

NFL.com’s Lance Zeirlein: Explosive, three-level playmaker and vital cog in one of the most potent offensive machines in college football over the last three seasons. Lamb uses speed and separation quickness to dominate competition in a scheme that frequently created open throws in space. His routes will need to become more efficient and crisp to beat man-to-man coverage against NFL size and speed, but his ball skills and explosiveness with the ball in his hand should allow teams to scheme him into explosive opportunities right away. Lamb has the potential to play any of the three receiver positions as a pro and should benefit greatly from the NFL’s continued movement toward college-style passing attacks.

2020 NFL Draft grades: Cowboys get a 'B+' for selecting CeeDee Lamb at No. 17 overall -R.J. White- CBSSports.com
Only a B+ grade for taking the BPA and getting what is considered the steal of the first round?.

17. Dallas Cowboys: B+

Pete Prisco: This is a classic case of a team not expecting the player to be there. The didn’t necessarily need a WR, but he was there. I think they would have picked a pass rusher here had Lamb not fallen to them. If you are true to your board and have a great grade on the guy, you have to take him.

Haughton and NSU product Jace Prescott, brother of Dak, dies at 31 - Roy Lang III, Shreveport Times
Tragedy strikes the Cowboys as Dak Prescott's older brother passes away. Our hearts are with QB1 and the Prescott family.

Jace Prescott, brother of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, passed away this morning. The death was confirmed by Jason Pugh, Northwestern State University’s assistant athletic director for media relations.

Jace Prescott, the middle of three brothers, was 31.

At 6-foot-6, 343 pounds, the formidable former Haughton High star played offensive lineman for the Demons from 2008-10.

“He was a great kid who dominated games,” Prescott’s high school football coach, Rodney Guin told The Times. “He was a pleasure to coach — as were all the Prescott boys.”

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