During the offseason, NFL football fans are usually at the peak of optimism for the upcoming season. Every fan base gets excited about draft picks and free agents additions, and as reports come back from OTA’s, potential breakout players already on the roster. For the Dallas Cowboys, the 2020 season was a write off and 2021 presents an opportunity to come back stronger than ever. That is why the list of Dallas Cowboys breakout candidates for 2021 includes players who had limited opportunities to shine last season. All for different reasons, such as injury, injuries to their supporting cast, suspension, or limited playing time. Representing both offense and defense, her are the Dallas Cowboys breakout candidates for the 2021 season.
DONOVAN WILSON, SAFETY
Donovan Wilson burst unto the seen as a rookie when he recorded three interceptions in just 4 pre-season games. Injuries and very limited playing time kept him off the radar during the regular season of his rookie campaign and 2020 had a similar outlook for him early. Suddenly, he was thrust into the starting lineup and began to make big play after big play. Wilson started 10 games in 2020 but stood out thanks to his knack for creating turnovers and delivering big hits. He was credited for a team leading 5 defensive turnovers last year and showed improvement each and every week. Donovan Wilson was one of the lone bright spots on a terrible Dallas Cowboys defense in 2020 and he is a prime breakout candidate as the expected full-time starting strong safety heading into the 2021 season.
BLAKE JARWIN, TIGHT END
Blake Jarwin was the most obvious choice among Dallas Cowboys breakout candidates for 2020 but his season was derailed with a torn ACL week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams. With an entire season and offseason to heal, most Cowboys fans expect Jarwin to return 100% healthy and ready to live up to the lofty expectations thrust upon him only a season ago. Time will tell if the athletic pass catcher and his quarterback Dak Prescott can return to form immediately after both of them suffered devastating season ending injuries last year.
RANDY GREGORY, DEFENSIVE END
If you are among the many Cowboys fans who had given up on Randy Gregory years ago, you are not alone. No one expected him to overcome the adversities he has faced and still be able to perform on the football field. But, Randy Gregory is no ordinary athlete. He possesses rare physical gifts that give him the natural ability to rush the passer. Gregory has persevered and overcome tremendous challenges in order to be able to play football once again. With his life seemingly in order, and a full offseason to prepare for the upcoming season, double digit sacks are not an unrealistic goal for the man once considered a top 10 talent in the NFL draft.
CEEDEE LAMB, WIDE RECEIVER
It is difficult to imagine an elite talent like CeeDee Lamb, who dominated at the college level, and had a very productive rookie season (74 receptions, 935 yards, 6 offensive TD’s) as a breakout candidate. Yet, that is exactly what CeeDee Lamb is. For the first 5 games of Lamb’s career, with Dak Prescott under center, he caught 29 balls, for 433 yards, and a pair of TD’s. Projected over a 16 game season, Lamb was on pace for 90+ receptions and nearly 1400 receiving yards. Dak Prescott is back in 2021 and CeeDee Lamb should improve in his second season with his first full offseason training program unencumbered by COVID restrictions. Look for CeeDee to at minimum eclipse 1000 receiving yards and possibly represent the Dallas Cowboys in the ProBowl.
*Photo by Joe Glorioso https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode
All data and statistics obtained and verified from https://www.pro-football-reference.com/