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Cowboys WATCH: Jalen Tolbert '1% Better' - Rookie Connects with Dak Prescott at Camp

The rookie is planning to be one of the team's top pass-catchers to begin the season.
Zach Dimmitt|
Cowboys WATCH: Jalen Tolbert '1% Better' - Rookie Connects with Dak Prescott at Camp
Cowboys WATCH: Jalen Tolbert '1% Better' - Rookie Connects with Dak Prescott at Camp

The first practice of the 2022 training camp for the Dallas Cowboys officially got underway Wednesday in Oxnard, Calif. as the team got a chance to play together for the first time since last month's minicamp at The Star. 

One of the main storylines headed into this season is the Dallas receiving corps following the Amari Cooper trade and Michael Gallup's steady recovery from his Week 17 ACL tear. CeeDee Lamb is set for his first official year as the surefire No. 1 passing option, but who else can quarterback Dak Prescott throw to on the outside once the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roll into town in Week 1?

Third-round rookie receiver Jalen Tolbert has been in the discussion for WR2 duties. And if the early footage from Wednesday's practice is any indication, the South Alabama product is on track to be one of the more productive rookie receivers this season based on his skillset and potential workload alone. 

"It's an awesome experience and an awesome opportunity,'' Tolbert said after the workout. "I'm just trying to get better every day - getting 1-percent better every day.''

Contested catches against seven-year veteran cornerback Anthony Brown certainly makes this hard to argue. 

At Dallas' rookie minicamp in May, coach Mike McCarthy compared Tolbert, the 2021 Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year, to Lamb and now former Cowboy Cedrick Wilson.

"He's somewhere kind of between CeeDee and Cedrick Wilson," McCarthy said. "The ability to play inside and outside."

PFF also released grades of FBS receivers against single coverage last season. Tolbert graded out as the second-best receiver by .1 of a difference at 94.4

Tolbert's numbers improved in each of his four seasons at South Alabama. After having just five catches for 60 yards his freshmen season, the Alabama native produced back-to-back 1000-yard, eight-touchdown seasons in 2020 and 2021. It proved to be more than enough to impress the Dallas front office.

In a draft class stacked with receiving talent, Tolbert was the 15th pass-catcher selected by the time the back half of the third round began. Despite being overlooked, his clear offseason connection with Prescott could pay major dividends headed into Week 1 and beyond.

You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He currently is an editor and contributor across several ON SI team sites, including Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI, and contributes to the On SI channels for the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. Zach started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. During his career, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7.

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