North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Josh Downs Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

Three potential WR targets for Cowboys in 2023 NFL Draft

By Clark Dalton | Last updated 1/25/23

One of the reasons the Cowboys failed to end their 27-year championship drought is because their passing offense regressed. After trading star WR Amari Cooper to Cleveland, Dallas fell from second last season in passing to 14th in 2022.

Outside of CeeDee Lamb, no Dallas receiver had more than 60 catches. Dallas holds the No. 27 pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, within range of selecting a WR who can become a difference-maker.

Here are three prospects the Cowboys should consider.

Jordan Addison, WR, USC

Addison dominated at Pittsburgh, catching 17 TDs in 14 games and winning the 2021 Blientkoff Award, given to the best WR in the FBS. After transferring to USC in 2022, Addison's numbers dipped, but he remained productive, recording eight TDs in 11 games.

JORDAN ADDISON GOES THE DISTANCE pic.twitter.com/sh62Bcomdl
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 11, 2022

ESPN draft expert Todd McShay lauds his big-play ability: "He has the second gear to stretch the field and can win 50-50 balls downfield."

A deep threat such as Addison would fill a big need. The Cowboys wide receiving corps averaged 230.1 yards per game, below the league average.

Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

In 2022, Flowers caught 12 TDs in 12 games, tied for fifth in the country, and had 78 receptions for 1,077 yards. That's impressive because Boston College QBs (Phil Jurkoevic and Emmett Morehead) completed 59.5 percent of their passes.

October Showers Bring Zay Flowers #ForBoston pic.twitter.com/omJzwvXyTN
— Boston College Football (@BCFootball) October 1, 2022

Flowers is 5-foot-10 and 172 pounds, undersized for an NFL WR. Despite his small stature, experts believe his game translates to the NFL because he's crafty and breaks tackles.

"Flowers is one of my favorite prospects in this entire class," wrote ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. "He just gets open and makes plays. He forced 25 missed tackles this season, third most in the country for a wideout."

Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina

Downs flourished during his junior season with the Tar Heels. Over 11 games, he had 94 receptions, the sixth most in the FBS, for 1,029 yards and scored 11 receiving TDs, tied for seventh in the FBS.

WHAT. A. CATCH. @UNCFootball | #ACCFootball

: @espn pic.twitter.com/KV8xMPGIX3
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) November 12, 2021

Downs is another small WR (5-10, 175), so his size is a concern. But he was elusive and efficient at North Carolina, mitigating some of the risks in taking him.

"Downs personifies the term shifty," wrote Pro Football Focus' Mike Renner. "He finished with an incredible 74.8 percent catch rate in his career."

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