The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the best regular season teams in the NFL over the past few years. Of course, much of their success (outside of the NFL Playoffs) is due to the fact that they have a plethora of Pro Bowl and All-Pro players on both sides of the ball. Defensively, Micah Parsons leads a solid unit and is considered one of the best linebackers in the entire NFL.
Offensively, the Cowboys boast Dak Prescott at quarterback, CeeDee Lamb at wide receiver, and Jake Ferguson at tight end. Indeed, they have plenty of stars, but star power is not the only thing that is required for success in the NFL. It is vital for other players to step up and do their own jobs well.
Oftentimes, especially on a team like Dallas that has so many big-name players, it is easy for others to be overlooked. This is especially true at the wide receiver position where Lamb is an All-Pro talent.
Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Brandin Cook Named One of the Most Underrated Players at His Position
Lamb, of course, has been dominating headlines this offseason as he holds out for a new contract. Similarly, Lamb dominates attention during the season due to his incredible talent and playmaking.
However, fans should not be so quick to overlook Brandin Cooks, who Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report named as one of his eight most underrated wide receivers in the NFL:
“Cooks has been a useful player at every stop despite tying the record for the most times a player has been traded.
“He has used his 4.33 speed to become a premier deep threat and a high-end No. 2 receiver wherever he has been. He’s moonlighted as a No. 1 option at times in his career, but his true strength lies in being a really productive deep threat specialist.
“Cooks still ranks relatively low here because his prime is likely over. He failed to hit 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons for the first time in his career in 2023. He still ended up compiling 54 receptions, 657 yards and eight touchdowns as Dak Prescott’s No. 2 option, though.
“His 59.3 percent success rate was the second-highest of his career, showing that he still has something left to offer a Cowboys offense that will need him to continue to produce.”
With Lamb continuing to hold out for a new contact, Cooks could end up with an even bigger role in the offense if the All-Pro decides to continue his absence into the regular season. That is not necessarily out of the question. After all, Chris Jones did it last year as he waited for a new contract from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Brandin Cooks Has Been Consistent Everywhere He Has Played
As Ballentine noted, Cooks has tied the NFL record for being traded the most times. In 2014, the New Orleans Saints traded up in the first round of the NFL Draft in order to take him 20th overall. After three productive seasons in New Orleans, the Saints traded him to the New England Patriots for a first and third round pick.
After his only season in New England (which saw him surpass 1,000 receiving yards for the third-consecutive season), the Patriots traded him to the Los Angeles Rams for a first and sixth round pick. Two years later, the Rams traded Cooks to the Houston Texans for a second-round pick.
And, of course, the Cowboys acquired Cooks from the Texans last offseason for a fifth-round pick (he had spent the past three seasons in Houston).
It will be interesting to see what Cooks does this season as he is 727 receiving yards away from 10,000 for his career.
