{"id":583909,"date":"2026-04-05T13:58:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T13:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/583909\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T13:58:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T13:58:10","slug":"4-wide-receivers-the-cowboys-could-target-in-2026-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/583909\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Wide Receivers the Cowboys Could Target in 2026 NFL Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NFL draft<\/a> takes place in three weeks, and the Dallas Cowboys<\/a> currently have two picks in Round 1 and eight selections overall<\/a>.<\/p>\n

They’re expected to focus on defense early, which makes sense considering this side of the ball was a disaster for them in 2025. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer wouldn’t rule out an offensive player<\/a> in Round 1, but that feels unlikely unless a premier talent falls to them.<\/p>\n

Still, the Cowboys are doing their homework on every player, and that includes wide receivers. Even with CeeDee Lamb and (hopefully) George Pickens on the roster, Dallas could add more depth. That said, here’s a look at four wide receivers who would make sense.<\/p>\n

Skyler Bell, Connecticut\"UConn<\/p>\n

UConn Huskies wide receiver Skyler Bell makes the catch and runs for a touchdown against the UAB Blazers. | David Butler II-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

At 6-foot-0 and 192 pounds, Skyler Bell isn’t the biggest wide receiver, but he dominated during his final season with the Huskies. Bell had 101 receptions for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns.<\/p>\n

He has the versatility to play inside and outside, and displayed solid athleticism at the NFL Combine when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds<\/a> and recorded a 41-inch vertical jump.<\/p>\n

Bryce Lance, North Dakota State\"North<\/p>\n

North Dakota State wideout Bryce Lance during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Trey Lance didn’t pan out as the backup quarterback in Dallas, but perhaps they could have better luck with his younger brother. Bryce Lance emerged as a star for North Dakota State, topping 1,000 yards receiving in each of his final two seasons with the Bison.<\/p>\n

He doesn’t offer much versatility, seen as primarily an ‘X’ receiver, but he wins contested passes and has more than enough juice to beat defenders downfield.<\/p>\n

Reggie Virgil, Texas Tech\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Tech’s Reggie Virgil runs after a catch against BYU during the Big 12 Conference championship. | Nathan Giese\/Avalanche-Journal \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Cowboys have been linked to three defenders on Texas Tech, with David Bailey, Romello Height, and Jacob Rodriguez all named as potential fits. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be scouting the Red Raiders’ offense as well.<\/p>\n

On that side of the ball, Reggie Virgil stands out as an intriguing prospect. After racking up 816 yards and averaging 19.9 yards per catch for Miami, Virgil transferred to Texas Tech. With the Red Raiders, he recorded 705 yards and six touchdowns.<\/p>\n

What really would make him popular with the Dallas coaching staff is his competitiveness, which includes his work as a blocker.<\/p>\n

Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana\"Indiana<\/p>\n

Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. against the Miami Hurricanes. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

One receiver the Cowboys have met with is Omar Cooper Jr., who is a potential first-round pick. A well-rounded receiver who can do it all, Cooper is seen as an ideal WR2 at the next level.<\/p>\n

Cooper primarily played in the slot, but has the talent to move to the outside as well. The only way he truly makes sense for the Cowboys, however, is if they don’t feel confident that they can secure Pickens with a long-term deal.<\/p>\n

\u2014\u00a0Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter\u00a0<\/a>for more free coverage from\u00a0Dallas Cowboys on SI<\/a>\u00a0\u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The NFL draft takes place in three weeks, and the Dallas Cowboys currently have two picks in Round…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":583910,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[436],"tags":[49,48,514,82],"class_list":["post-583909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/583909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=583909"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/583909\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/583910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=583909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=583909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=583909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}