Cowboys countdown to kickoff: #16 Jalen Moreno-Cropper

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 16.

WR Jalen Moreno-Cropper
Born: 3rd May 2001 (22) - Parlier, California
College: Fresno State Bulldogs
Draft: 2023, UDFA, Dallas Cowboys

2022 Stats: (College)
Total Snaps: 635
Targets: 100
Receptions: 74
Receiving Yards: 987
Yards Per Reception: 13.3
First Downs: 42
Touchdowns: 5
Penalties: 1

College:
Jalen Cropper enrolled at Fresno State in 2019. During his freshman year he caught 15 passes for 196 yards, while rushing for 343 yards and three touchdowns. As a sophomore, he led the Bulldogs with 37 receptions and 520 receiving yards with five touchdown receptions.

The next year in 2021, Cropper again led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns. He was named second-team All-Mountain West conference with 85 catches for 899 yards and 11 touchdowns.

His senior year was his finest as he was named first-team All-Mountain West. He led the team in receptions (83), receiving yards (1,086) and scored five receiving touchdowns. During his senior year he requested his name change to read “Moreno-Cropper”, in remembrance of his grandfather.

Cowboys Outlook:
Moreno-Cropper has already showed up at rookie minicamp and training camp. Some have touted him a dark horse and could crack the final roster. What makes him so different to the other rookies hoping to win a spot is his ability to play the slot. When you look at the wide receiver corps for Dallas, CeeDee Lamb has the main slot skills. The other rookies can offer some upside as a slot receiver but Moreno-Cropper is already a pure specialist at the position. If the team was looking to add a player that can play from the slot, Moreno-Cropper can be that guy. He has the perfect size and speed to play from the slot.

His athletic attributes help him win, but he’s also able to finds ways to get open with his great understanding of route concepts and how to manipulate defenders. He’s not going to run through tackles or even maintain balance through simple arm tackles, but for this offense with its west coast concepts, he offers huge versatility being able to play out the backfield or on jet sweeps. This can help a guy like Brian Schottenheimer be creative and catch defense’s off guard.

The Big Question:
Can Jalen Moreno-Cropper make it on the final roster? Let us know in the comments.