5 Best Wide Receivers in Dallas Cowboys History

From a sheer talent perspective, Lamb has an argument to be No. 1 on the list. And if he keeps up what he’s accomplished through his first six years in the NFL, he may end up there, anyway.

For now, Lamb ranks fifth, in large part due to a shorter tenure than those above him. He ranks fifth in Cowboys history in yards receiving already with 7,416 yards -- less than 100 fewer than the man ranked fourth (and No. 3 on this list).

Lamb’s 41 touchdowns are 30 fewer than the man we considered for this No. 5 spot, though. Still, the Oklahoma product remains a staple on the top 50 players list of current NFLers, and it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere soon.

4. Tony Hill (1977-1986)

Hill teamed with the No. 2 choice on this list to give the Cowboys one of the better receiving tandems of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Had Hill not been a No. 2 on his team, his numbers might have been even better.

As they are, they’re still good. He ranks second among wide receivers in Dallas history in yards receiving, fifth in receptions, and fourth in touchdowns. Over the course of his 10-year career, all with the Cowboys, Hill caught 479 passes for 7,988 yards, and 51 touchdowns.

He made three Pro Bowls, with his best season coming in his penultimate: 74 grabs for 1,113 yards, and seven scores.

3. Dez Bryant (2010-2018)

Speaking of Oklahoma, Bryant played at Lamb’s rival Oklahoma State in college and quickly established himself as a touchdown machine after the Cowboys drafted him in the first round of the 2010 draft. 

Bryant might have been higher here, too, had injuries not knocked him out of the 2018 season and, effectively ended his career. Through eight years with the Cowboys, Bryant made three Pro Bowls and made one first-team All-Pro squad.

His 16 touchdowns in 2014 led the NFL, and his 85 over those eight seasons ranks first in Cowboys history.

2. Drew Pearson (1973-1983)

A three-time Pro Bowler who made the All-Pro team in each of those three seasons and, eventually, the Hall of Fame, Pearson is impossible to keep out of the No. 2 spot.

Another player who played his college career in the Sooner State (Tulsa), Pearson, like everyone else on this list, played his entire professional career in Dallas. And while, on paper, his numbers don’t jump off the page when looking at them individually.

He had just two 1,000-yard seasons and never caught more than 62 passes. But he was the top option on some of the best Cowboys teams of the 20th century and was a staple in the starting lineup for all 11 of his seasons.

1. Michael Irvin (1988-1999)

Twelve seasons. Seven 1,000-yard seasons. Five Pro Bowls. Three All-Pro selections. Three Super Bowls. There’s no one like Michael Irvin.

And we mean that even absent all of those accomplishments. Irvin is a player Cowboys fans adored and everyone else, well, didn’t. Controversy surrounded the former Miami Hurricanes wideout through most of his career and after it, too.

But the numbers he put up on the field don’t lie. And he did it with a game manager - albeit a great game manager - throwing him passes for a majority of his career. A Cowboys legend.