There is a long list of candidates for the wide receiver roster spots with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020. You can think of a lot of names before the undrafted rookie Kendrick Rogers, but former Aggie brings size and athletics to compete and could be a factor in 2020.
Rogers failed to have his name called in the NFL draft in April, but was immediately signed by the Cowboys as a free agent. Jeff Tarpley, who covers Texas A&M for 247 Sports, recently said that Dallas saw Kendrick as a potential threat to the red zone.
He can highlight a ball, use his body to put a defender out of action and bail out a quarterback. Rogers has a length of 6ft 4 and a speed of 4.52 in the forty, which gives the Cowboys the basis of the hope that he can build around his best attributes to become a more complete receiver.
However, that same article described Rogers’ cap as “fairly low” and it would take a lot of work to become a true NFL receiver. But if Kendrick can at least show some potential over the next few months, Dallas will have a hard time letting go of someone with his physical gifts.
If the official heights are correct, Rogers will be the camp’s biggest receiver this year. Ventell Bryant and Aaron Parker are listed at 6’3 “and everyone is smaller.
The fact that “you can’t teach pruning” works for Kendrick, but he’s going to have to learn a lot about how to use it if he wants to stay in Dallas. His low college output is a big concern, averaging just 343.5 yards and 3.5 touichdowns in the past two seasons.
There’s plenty of room for opportunity on the Cowboys WR depth chart in 2020. Although they have a clear top-3 with Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and Ceedee Lamb, nothing is certain for the remaining spots. .
The first contenders are players we have seen in previous regular season games; Noah Brown, Ventell Bryant, Devin Smith and Cedrick Wilson should all be competitive. Rogers also has to contend with other development perspectives like Jon’Vea Johnson, Tevin Jones and Aaron Parker.
Players like Brown, Bryant and Wilson all have an advantage as they add value to special teams in addition to their reception work. Brown and Bryant are both bigger guys who can block and Wilson could find himself as a Dallas punt returner in 2020.
Working against Kendrick Rogers and other 2020 recruits, especially those who weren’t written, is the lack of summer training work due to COVID-19. It could be more difficult than ever to get noticed by coaches and compete with more refined prospects.
That said, Kendrick Rogers naturally stands on the field and with his ability to capture highlights. If he can draw eyeballs with these games and work on the rest of his game, the competition is open enough that he can at least make the training team if not the bottom of the list.
