Cowboys hosting a former second-round pick that would put rising young player on notice

The Dallas Cowboys are hosting wide receiver Zay Jones on a visit this week as the team gets ready to kick off rookie minicamp, Jordan Schultz reported.

Jones, a former second round draft pick, is entering his eighth season in the NFL, having spend the last two years with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Although his production didn't stand out in 2023 as he played only nine games, Jones went for a career-high 82 catches and 823 yards in 2022 with five touchdowns.

Adding Jones would be a solid win for the Cowboys as their wide receiver depth isn't exactly the best. As of right now, their projected starters are CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Jalen Tolbert.

While Tolbert is the consensus WR3 on the team, the reality is the Cowboys are still learning about him as he only has 24 career catches two years into the league. After releasing Michael Gallup , the Cowboys are likely not looking at depth only but also someone to compete with the third-year rising player.

Putting Tolbert on notice this way would be a good move as otherwise he objectively would be WR3 almost by default rather than by competing for it in training camp. The upside is clearly there, as the former third-round pick displayed last year, but having under 30 career catches should guarantee no one a starting role.

Worst case scenario, Jones would be a good insurance policy for the Cowboys offense. Best case? He legitimately could be an upgrade over Tolbert.

It would also give the team an increased veteran presence on a room filled with young guys like Jalen Brooks (second-year, seventh rounder) and Ryan Flournoy (this year's sixth-round pick).

Is this the all-in move Cowboys have been longing for this offseason? No. Is it a potentially solid, low-cost move that would improve the roster a little bit? I believe so.

Jones is the son of former Cowboys LB Robert Jones, the 1992 first-round draft pick who was a three-time Super Bowl champion with Dallas in the good ol' days.

It won't be an automatic deal, however, as Schultz reports multiple teams are looking into Jones including the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals.

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