Over the last few days, I’ve made it obvious where I think the Dallas Cowboys are going to be looking when it comes to their 19th pick in the upcoming NFL Draft – wide receiver. With the release of Dez Bryant last week, the Cowboys now have the following names in the WR slot of the depth chart:

Cole Beasley

Noah Brown

KD Cannon

Allen Hurns

Lance Lenoir

Ryan Switzer

Deonte Thompson

Terrence Williams

Hurns was a good value signing, but he doesn’t really possess that number one receiver threat the Cowboys will need when the 2018 season kicks off. Could Brehnam, Texas , native Courtland Sutton, be the answer? He grew up a Dallas Cowboys fan, and like many others, a Dez Bryant fan:

#88 is still gonna be #88 to me. #throwitup #Respect

— Courtland Sutton ♠️ (@SuttonCourtland) April 13, 2018

When it comes to prototypical receivers, look no further than Sutton. Standing at 6’3 and weighing 218 pounds, he looks like a young Dez Bryant or Brandon Marshall. Over three seasons, Sutton emerged as one of the top receivers in the nation, and one of the only few receivers who figure to be selected in the first round.

Year	Class	Games	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD
2015	Fresh	12	49	862	17.6	9
2016	Soph	12	76	1246	16.4	10
2017	Jun	13	68	1085	16.0	12
Career		37	195	3220	16.5	31

Earlier in the scouting process, Sutton did not attend the Cowboys workout for local prospects, but Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett did take part in Sutton’s pro day workout at SMU.

Yesterday, it was reported that the Cowboys would be bringing in three wide receivers as part of their final 30 visits, and Sutton would be one of those three.

Upside

Believe it or not, Sutton wasn’t even ranked as a receiver in high school, rather a safety, showing his ability to produce on both sides of the field. Once he had a chance to show his potential, the coaching staff gave him his chance. After two games, Sutton sat out the rest of the season due to injury, and was given a medical redshirt. The rest is history. In 2015, he earned Freshman All-American status and lead the team with 49 catches, 862 yards and nine touchdowns.

When you watch him line up, it’s not hard to see what type of threat he poses to his defender. He seems to tower over the defender and has the build to cause a real match-up nightmare for the defensive back.

He has great hands and has shown an ability to go up and make a play, similar to what Dez brought the Cowboys over his nine seasons with the franchise.

Strengths

Incredible body positioning

Confidence through the roof

Physical blocker who can help in the run game

Can handle contact and make catches in traffic

Clever hand positioning to create separation for catches

Needs Improvement

Route running

Struggled against some of the better competition

Lacks that big play speed

Struggles getting upfield and earning yards after catch

NFL Player Comparisons

Dez Bryant

Brandon Marshall

Alshon Jeffrey

Verdict

If the Cowboys are looking for a young and durable Dez Bryant replacement and a big time playmaker for Dak Prescott, I believe Sutton is that guy. He will give Prescott that big target that is currently missing within the current receiving core. It’s pretty obvious that the Cowboys have some serious interest in the SMU product. Is this final meeting just to confirm their interest that much more? A Texas native. A big time receiver body. Born and raised a Dallas Cowboys fan?

What’s not to love?