Cowboys Rookie WR Anthony Smith Draws Comparison to Former Fan Favorite

The Dallas Cowboys drew rave reviews for their work in the 2026 NFL draft, with much of the attention being centered on their top three picks.

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, UCF defensive end Malachi Lawrence, and linebacker/EDGE Jaishawn Barham are all expected to be key pieces of their defensive rebuild. While they focused heavily on that side of the ball, Dallas capped off the draft by taking East Carolina wide receiver Anthony Smith at No. 218 in Round 7.

Anthony Smith's ceiling is higher than most seventh-round picks

Dallas Cowboys WR Anthony Smith walks off the field after practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Smith has NFL size at 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds, and proved to be a deep threat for the Pirates, averaging 17.6 yards per catch during his two seasons with the program. While he's not expected to be a star player, 105.3 The Fan's Bobby Belt believes his ceiling is higher than expected.

"The potential is deep ball field stretching No. 3. If he hits whatever he can be, he can be in a three-man receiver rotation at his very peak, and he can be one of these guys who's like, oh, he averaged 18 yards a catch that year," Belt said.

He then added that the Cowboys would be happy to see him compete for a spot as a fourth or fifth wide receiver. Belt said he could be a player who might not end up with a lot of catches, but could provide a "pop" similar to what they had with another former late-round pick, Cedrick Wilson Jr.

"Like, hey, look, Anthony Smith, we get to the end of the year, and maybe he finished with 18 catches, but he had two of them that were 60 yards and touched it like Cedrick Wilson used to do before he left here."

Cedrick Wilson went from late-round pick to trusted WR3

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Cedrick Wilson against the Carolina Panthers. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

A sixth-round pick from Boise State in 2018, Wilson missed his rookie season due to an injury. He was back on the field in year two, and had just five receptions for 46 yards.

He began to show flashes during his third season, but became a fan favorite during 2021 campaign. With Michael Gallup missing eight games, Wilson stepped into a larger role. That season, Wilson played in 16 games with four starts and had 45 receptions for 602 yards and six touchdowns.

Wilson cashed in the following offseason, signing a three-year, $22.8 million contract with the Miami Dolphins. While he never recaptured the magic from his 2021 campaign, Wilson was still one of the more successful late-round wide receivers Dallas has had in recent memory. If Smith comes close to producing anywhere close to Wilson's level, this pick would be a home run.

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