T.Y. Hilton Could Solve Multiple Dallas Cowboys Offensive Issues

The Dallas Cowboys needed a boost at wide receiver, and on Monday evening, they signed one. It wasn’t the one many of the fans wanted it to be, but they’ll have to live with the decisions Jerry and Stephen Jones make. However, T.Y. Hilton could help multiple aspects of the Cowboys’ passing attack without ever touching the football.

Hilton isn’t the player he once was. He played in just 35 games from 2019-2021 and averaged just 45.5 yards per game over that stretch. In the seven years preceding that, he averaged 75.5 yards per contest and was one of the most feared downfield threats in the league. Hilton even led the league in yards in 2016.

And he was feared because of his speed.

What T.Y. Hilton Brings the Dallas Cowboys

In the 2012 NFL Combine, Hilton ran a 4.34 40-yard dash. And that, more than anything else, is what the Cowboys are missing offensively. At 33 and with multiple lower body injuries on his ledger, there’s no way he’s still anywhere near that pace. But even at a much slower pace, he is still probably faster than any other non-Tony Pollard offensive weapon — mostly because Kavontae Turpin isn’t really used as an offensive player.

Ceedee Lamb ran a 4.5. Michael Gallup, the Cowboys’ deep threat, ran a 4.51. Noah Brown was practically a tight end two seasons ago, and they don’t have Darren Waller or Kyle Pitts playing tight end for them.

For as much speed as the defense possesses, the offense lacks as much of it. Simi Fehoku is fast but can’t seem to garner trust on offense yet. Antonio Calloway could be that guy, but he’s stuck on the practice squad.

Hilton brings that speed element the receiving corps lacks and a veteran presence that can hopefully pick up what is not a simple playbook for receivers. But what exactly does Hilton’s speed bring?

Keeping Safeties Honest

There isn’t a single safety in the league that worries about the Cowboy wide receivers running by them. It’s gotten to such a point that defenders are actually letting receivers run right by them because, by the time they become a threat, Dak Prescott is already delivering the football to another target.

Jalen Pitre didn’t care about Noah Brown all game. In fact, the Texans’ safety was routinely flat-footed when faced with a vertical threat coming his way. No matter who it was, the Texans’ safeties knew Prescott wasn’t going to target that receiver.

It was the same story on Prescott’s underthrown pass to Michael Gallup. Prescott was hit as he threw, which caused the underthrow, but the safeties held their ground and just let Gallup on by like a pair of saloon doors.

While watching the Dolphins’ offense early in the season, it was clear just how much of a difference the speed of Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill makes on the way opposing safeties defend them.

The Cowboys don’t get that same luxury. And while Brown has outplayed his draft slot and Gallup is deserving of his second contract, neither makes defensive backs fear.

Even late in the game, when Dallas needed a score and could use an explosive play or two, Pitre was sitting down at depth, unfazed.

Speed fixes the other issue with the Cowboys’ passing attack, too, without Hilton even needing to touch the ball.

Dak Prescott’s Middle-of-Field Aggressiveness

That’s not going away. Prescott loves attacking windows in the middle of the field, whether it be up the seam or on flatter in and out-breaking routes. However, there have been far more tipped passes by linebackers dropping back into coverage this season. The Texans linebackers made some outstanding plays in windows we’re used to seeing Prescott complete passes to.

But we must remember the Cowboys don’t often pair these routes with an underneath crosser or stopping route to keep linebackers flat-footed. That — along with the Cowboys’ inability to threaten vertically with speed — makes Prescott’s margin for error razor-thin. He’s no longer afforded the opportunity to give passes just a bit more air, or else a safety will close the window and make a play on the ball.

Even playing what is practically a decoy role, Hilton could have a huge impact on the success of his fellow receivers, should he remain healthy the rest of the season. Dallas needs fewer turnovers from Prescott, and it’s nice to see them finally address a problem they ignored in the offseason. Hopefully, it’s not too late for the Cowboys’ offense.