You can make a strong case that the most significant need for the Dallas Cowboys going into the 2025 offseason was finding a No. 2 option in the passing game. All of the other top teams in the NFC (Eagles, Lions, Vikings, Rams, 49ers, etc.) all have multiple options in the passing game, but that wasn’t the case for the Cowboys in 2023. Jalen Tolbert had a fine season, but he doesn’t stack up to other No. 2 receivers like DeVonta Smith, Jordan Addison, Jameson Williams, etc.
With Dak Prescott becoming less mobile each year, the Cowboys need to surround him with weapons to maximize their offense. And it sure felt like the front office had the same feeling.
That is why the Cowboys made the trade for George Pickens pretty quickly after the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft. You would think that the pairing of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens would be among the best in the league, especially if you think Lamb is the No. 3 or No. 4 receiver in the league. However, that is not the consensus take.
In a recent article by Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus, he ranked all 32 wide receiver corps entering the 2025 season. Not only did the Cowboys not finish inside the top five of PFF’s list. They didn’t even make the top 10. Instead, they came in at No. 15, behind teams like the Commanders, Chiefs, and Ravens. Here is what the site had to say about the unit going into the year:
Cowboys' passing game weapons ranked laughably low by PFF
"CeeDee Lamb carries the Cowboys’ ranking here. His 79.9 PFF receiving grade in 2024 was low for his standards, but he recorded a 91.2 mark the year prior when Dak Prescott was fully healthy. Dallas traded for George Pickens, who is coming off a career-high 78.6 PFF overall grade, but they need more from Jake Ferguson, Jalen Tolbert and someone — anyone — out of the backfield."
Trevor Sikkema, Pro Football Focus
It appears that Sikkema included the tight ends and the running backs in his equation, and that would explain why the Cowboys might be lower than expected. However, 15th feels far too low for a group that has a dominant No. 1 receiver and a player of Pickens’ talent. Lamb has been one of the league's most impressive receivers over the last three seasons, and his presence alone should put this group inside the top 12.
They needed to find a bonafide No. 2 receiver to pair with Lamb, and they accomplished that. Pickens is not the cleanest receiver, but he’s an extremely talented player and is in a great situation for his skill set. He’s not quite consistent enough to be a No. 1 receiver (yet), but he’s on the shortlist of the top No. 2 receivers in the league.
The expectation was that Dallas would have selected Tetairoa McMillan at No. 12, but he went at No. 8 to the Panthers. Matthew Golden and Emeka Egbuka would have been upgrades, but Dallas clearly thought that it was too rich to select them with their top pick. Pickens is a clear upgrade.
Read more:Cowboys’ George Pickens trade is getting huge praise from NFL executives
The hope for the Cowboys is that Jalen Tolbert can develop into a reliable No. 3 receiver, and we saw flashes of that last season. He made a number of big plays for the Cowboys, including scoring the game-winning touchdown against the Steelers in Week 5. Coming off the best year of his career, he should flourish as the No. 3 receiver with teams focusing their attention on Lamb and Pickens.
Dallas would also greatly benefit from a bounce-back season for Jake Ferguson, who did not score a touchdown in 2024. Ferguson looked like he was on his way to stardom after the 2023 season, but a knee injury in Week 1 really hampered him. If Ferguson can get back to the level we saw during the 2023 season, there is no reason why this can’t be among the best passing attacks in the NFL.
15th feels too low for the talent of this group, and if anyone outside of Lamb and Pickens can perform above expectations, it’s going to be hard to justify ranking them outside of the top-five at this time next year.