Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb ranked among elite WRs after gutting through nasty injury
The last three seasons have erased any doubt about where CeeDee Lamb ranks among NFL receivers. Since 2023, Lamb has racked up 4,532 yards from scrimmage and 29 touchdowns.
That means he is averaging over 92 yards per game during that 49-game stretch. His consistency is remarkable and he still managed to post big numbers last season despite an injury to Dak Prescott and a nagging shoulder injury that landed him on the injured reserve list.
There is no question that Lamb is an elite receiver. The only question is where does he rank among his peers? In a recent article by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, he spoke to over 70 NFL executives, decision-makers, coaches, and scouts and asked them to rank the top 10 wide receivers in the NFL heading into the 2025 season.
Lamb came in at No. 4 on the list, which is precisely where he was at this time last year. And it was the same group of receivers (Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Tyreek Hill) who were ahead of him then, as well.
Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb viewed as an elite wide receiver by the NFL
Here is a snippet of what Fowler had to say about the All-Pro receiver in Dallas:
"Lamb has 496 career receptions, the second most through a player's first five seasons behind Michael Thomas' 510. His 12 career games with at least 10 receptions are already the most in Cowboys history. And his 101 catches for 1,194 yards last season was impressive considering Prescott missed significant time and the lack of a true No. 2 receiver in Dallas. About 45% of Lamb's yards came after the catch, producing 235 receiving yards after first contact. "Jeremy Fowler, ESPN
There isn’t anything Lamb doesn’t do at a high level. He may not have the same top-end speed as Ja’Marr Chase or Tyreek Hill, but there are no flaws in his game. His best trait might be his ability to move all around the field, making it impossible for defenses to key in on him.
There is no shame at all in Lamb coming in at No. 4 in the wide receiver rankings, although you could argue that he should be ahead of Hill after their 2024 seasons and due to the age difference. Then again, someone like A.J. Brown (ranked at No. 5) also has a strong case of being ahead of Lamb, so No. 4 isn’t a bad spot.
But the most egregious part of the article by Fowler is that one decision-maker ranked Lamb as the No. 10 wide receiver in the league going into 2025. That is downright disrespectful, but he isn’t the only receiver who had a shocking ranking.
Brown was not voted into someone’s top 10, while another voted Jefferson, the league’s all-time leader in receiving yards per game, at No. 4. So, we shouldn’t put too much stock into the outlier votes on this list.
However, it’s still very impressive that Lamb has managed to become a consensus top-five receiver in the NFL over the last three seasons. And as long as he stays healthy, nothing should change that.
The Cowboys are hoping that the addition of George Pickens can make the offense even more explosive. But make no mistake about it: the offense runs through Lamb, and that’s why they’ve been one of the top units since the moment he was selected at No. 17 in the 2020 NFL Draft.
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