Jalen Moreno-Cropper might be a name Cowboys fans have not heard much about this summer.
Still, the undrafted free agent from Fresno State might have a chance to put pressure on other guys looking to land as wide receiver No. 4 for Dallas.
Moreno-Cropper is only 172 pounds and brings great speed. He produced a 4.40-second 40-yard dash at the combine, and Dallas got him after he went undrafted this year.
His 84 receptions ranked 12th in the country last season. Averaging 13.0 yards per reception.
He finished the season with 1,093 yards. The Cowboys have a handful of guys battling for this team’s wide receiver No. 4.
He is getting overlooked because everyone expects Jalen Tolbert to take the next step. That is my guess.
Simi Fehoko also gets his name mentioned as the possible guy for that spot on the depth chart, but I don’t see it.
He is heading into year three and is still in the same spot as Moreno-Cropper and Tolbert. I mean, he only played in five games in 2022, catching only three passes for 24 yards.
Realistic expectations
So, what are the real expectations for Moreno-Cropper?
Well, on July 6th, it is hard to say. We should have a better idea once the team reports to Oxnard, California, in a few weeks.
I don’t know if he will make the final 53-man roster, but he has every bit of a chance as the others are looking to claim this spot.
It would be great if he or Tolbert could be consistent and ready if their number is called.
Assuming CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Michael Gallup all stay upright and play 95% of the season, those guys won’t need to do much.
With the new “Texas Coast” offense that Mike McCarthy and the crew want to run, I have a feeling having as much speed on the field as possible would be beneficial.
Even if Tolbert or someone else starts the season at the No. 4 guy, it will change. At that point, they should just play the hot hand.
They will have plenty of players to choose from, but don’t sleep on Moreno-Cropper speed. The kid can flat out run.
Think about the way the Chiefs and the Giants used Kadarius Toney. Even if he isn’t a big pass catcher, they can get him involved in other ways with that speed.
Jet sweeps and getting him the ball in space, that is all they need to do. His speed and RAC will do the rest of the work.
With a up-tempo offense that this team wants to run next year, he sounds like the perfect fit.
We will know soon enough once training camp rolls around, but until then, this is the fun part. Trying to guess who will be a guy that will come out of nowhere and make the 53.
After doing some research and watching some game film on him, I really do think he could be a very solid UDFA for this Dallas Cowboys team.
What do you think?
