Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin And How 'Dirty Work' Is Key To Cowboys Depth Chart

The Dallas Cowboys' third receiver spot, for me, is down to two players in Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin.

Yes, others in Jonathan Mingo, Traeshon Holden, Ryan Flournoy, and Jalen Brooks have flashed this preseason, but there is something that both Tolbert and Turpin have in their kit bag that the others don't.

The ability to play special teams at a high level.

And for offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, it is the dirty work and selfless acts that put Tolbert high in the thinking of the coaching staff.

“I think what you'd love about Jalen Tolbert is what you'd love to continue to see is that the guy is super consistent,” Adams said. “He's selfless, he's all about the team, he's into doing the dirty work and he's also has the ability to make plays. So that's seeing him on special teams and all those other things that's what you want to see is the best version of JT and to me that's the definition of that.”

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer stated that playing special teams will be a deciding factor in the makeup of the receiver depth chart, and it is clear Tolbert - even with competition pushing him and trade rumors surrounding him - is high on the list right now.

Let's not forget, he did post 600+ yards and seven touchdowns last season with Cooper Rush as his quarterback after Week 9. In fact, before Dak Prescott went down with injury against the Atlanta Falcons, Tolbert was blossoming.

He post 40+ yards in five of his first seven games, which included two 80+ yard games. So if Dak is healthy for the full season (big if) then Tolbert could be set for a similar season in 2025 under Schottenheimer.

Still, while his stats are passable, it will be the dirty work that gets the Cowboys excited about Tolbert this upcoming season.