Since entering the NFL as a first-round pick in the 2020 draft, Ceedee Lamb has been regarded as one of the game’s best receivers. A true No. 1 wideout, he is someone Dallas Cowboys QBs have been able to rely on to get open and make plays with the ball.
Yet for all of Lamb’s greatness, the Cowboys have struggled to put other downfield weapons on the field with him. Last season, tight end Jake Ferguson was second behind Lamb in targets with barely more than half, but no one other than Lamb topped 620 yards, and it has been a struggle finding anyone who could be a true No. 2 wideout, a Robin to Lamb’s Batman.
Former NFL WR Gives His Take on Lamb and Pickens WR1 Debate
Looking to add some more playmaking to their receiver room, the Cowboys swung a deal for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ No. 1 receiver George Pickens, sending a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round choice while getting back Pittsburgh’s 2027 sixth-round selection.
Pickens could be just what Dallas needed. The 2022 second-round pick is coming off a season in which he caught 59 passes for 900 yards with three touchdowns, but the year before saw him snag 63 passes for 1,140 and five scores.
A tantalizing mix of playmaking and potential, Pickens will slot in as the Cowboys’ No. 2 receiver, but a guy who knows a thing or two about teams that have multiple star wideouts believes the title may be irrelevant.
“Obviously, Ceedee’s been there longer, so that’s obviously set in stone,” former NFL WR Pierre Garcon told Kay Adams on the FanDuel Up and Adams Show. “But as far as game days, both of them are No. 1s.”
Pierre Garçon sees Ceedee Lamb and George Pickens both as WR1 in Dallas.
“It’s great for the quarterback to have two number one options.”@heykayadams | @PierreGarcon | @dallascowboys pic.twitter.com/zwA6Y9QJgZ
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow)
“I played with Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne together on the same roster, and it’s great for a quarterback to have two No. 1 options on either side.”
Garcon noted that the Lamb/Pickens partnership could lead to their individual numbers not looking like those of a true top wideout, but he’s excited for the two to be on the same team.
“And for those weapons to flourish,” he added.
Now, when Garcon played with Harrison and Wayne, the former was in his final NFL season while the latter was in his prime as one of the best wideouts in the game. The Lamb and Pickens combination features two players who are in their mid-20s and still have statistics, awards, and contracts ahead of them, so it’s not exactly the same.
But that doesn’t mean this won’t work.
Other teams throughout history have had the luxury of multiple star receivers, with some recent examples being the Cincinnati Bengals (Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins) and Philadelphia Eagles (A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith). With a star QB slinging the rock, multiple stars can eat, and Dallas has a good passer in veteran Dak Prescott.
So it makes sense that the early vibes are positive, with both Lamb and Pickens looking forward to their partnership.
