Cowboys countdown to kickoff: #80 Tyron Johnson

We’re continuing our countdown to the opening game of the Dallas Cowboys 2023 regular season. Each day we’ll present a new player whose jersey number represents the countdown to opening day. Today is number 80.

WR Tyron Johnson
Born: 8th January 1996 (27) - New Orleans, Louisiana
College: Oklahoma State Cowboys
Draft: 2019, UDFA, Houston Texans

2022 Stats:
Total Snaps: 37 (7.6%)
Targets: 1
Receptions: 1
Yards: 8
Yards Per Reception: 8.0
Yards After Catch: 8
First Downs: 0

College:
Initially Tyron Johnson signed with the LSU Tigers in 2015 but transferred to play at Oklahoma State instead. While at LSU, he played in four games catching nine passes for 150 yards and scored two touchdowns. Johnson didn’t play in 2016 but the next season he got to play 187 snaps on offense. He caught 18 passes during his sophomore year and went for 293 yards. He also scored three touchdowns and had an impressive 139.9 when targeted, although this was on a limited snap count. The next season he was featured more on Oklahoma State’s offense playing on 910 snaps. During his junior season he caught 53 receptions for 845 yards and scored seven times. He did have five drops, with two of them getting tipped to the defense. He declared for the draft at the end of the season and went undrafted in 2019. He ended his collegiate career with 80 receptions, 1,288 yards, 12 touchdowns with an average yards per catch of 16.1.

Cowboys Outlook:
After the news broke on Antonio Callaway getting in trouble off the field yet again, the Cowboys made the decision to release him. That opened the door for a player to fill the void and be ready for training camp, and they found their answer in Tyron Johnson. This is one player that is no stranger to living out a suitcase. Since going undrafted in 2019 and being picked up by the Houston Texans, he has spent time on seven other NFL teams trying to break onto the roster. He joins Dallas, making this his eighth team, but the odds are against him on an already stacked wide receiver corps. His one season for the LA Chargers where he caught three touchdowns in 2020 is the best tape to watch on what he’s capable of producing. He’s a burner and deep ball receiver, much like Brandin Cooks in style of play. Where he differs from Cooks is pretty much in every other aspect of his game. He lacks any refinement or proficiency as a pass catcher. His breaks are way too obvious for defenders to read and he fails to win contested catches. Until he gets to camp this is a big “wait and see” type player before we start to dismiss or get too excited about his value at Dallas. But based on what he’s put on tape so far, it’s likely he struggles to stay in Dallas this year.

The Big Question:
Does Johnson earn a practice squad place at Dallas? Comment below with your take.