George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb Were Penalty Nightmares for Cowboys Opponents in 2025

The Dallas Cowboys have arguably the best one-two punch at wide receiver in the NFL in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.

In 2025, the duo combined for 2,499 receiving yards, with Pickens posting 1,429 and Lamb finishing with 1,077. Bear in mind, Lamb missed three games due to injury or else that number would've been even higher.

With Pickens and Lamb being so difficult to defend, it leads to more penalties on them than your average receiver. That was clearly reflected in a stat shared by Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis.

Only one wide receiver in the NFL, Indianapolis Colts wideout Alec Pierce, accumulated more defensive pass interference yards than Lamb and Pickens, who accumulated 121 and 120 yards, respectively. Pierce had 147 in total.

DPI penalty yards drawn by receivers

147 - Alec Pierce
121 - CeeDee Lamb
120 - George Pickens
105 - Marvin Harrison Jr.
99 - Marquise Brown
94 - Jaxon Smith-Njigba
91 - Ja'Marr Chase
90 - Deebo Samuel Sr.
79 - Calvin Austin III
74 - Mike Evans
74 - Darnell Mooney
73 - Chris…
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) June 5, 2026

The ability to draw defensive pass interference flags shows that even when they aren't making plays, Lamb and Pickens can still gain yardage for the Cowboys' offense.

Cowboys' mixed 2025 penalty stats

Side judge Boris Cheek is seen here during the second half of a game between the Broncos and against the Raiders. — Side judge Boris Cheek. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Sharp crunched the numbers for most penalty yards called on teams' opponents in 2025 and the Cowboys had the second-highest total in the NFL at 1,142 yards.

However, Dallas was on the opposite side of the spectrum when it came to penalties against, with the Cowboys having 133 penalties against them accepted last season that totaled 1,136 yards, per NFLPenalties.com. Those marks ranked first and second, respectively.

Penalties were identified as an issue during the 2025 offseason by head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who said cleaning up the issue starts with him.

"If we’re not a disciplined football team, that starts with me as a head coach and the coaching staff," Schottenheimer said last year.

The Cowboys have a lot to clean up in 2026.

CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens outlooks

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ceedee Lamb (88) runs onto the field prior to the game against the Washington Commanders. — Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ceedee Lamb. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Pickens is facing a crucial season for his career in 2026, as he'll be auditioning for the lucrative, long-term deal he didn't get this offseason, whether that be from Dallas or another team.

Not only does Pickens have to post top-notch production similar to what he did in 2025, he also has to continue to be on his best behavior to fully shed the troublemaker label.

It's fair to assume that Pickens will see a dip in production, though, and not just because it's difficult to break 1,400 yards two years in a row.

Two of Pickens' biggest games of last season came during Lamb's three-game absence due to injury. Pickens had 134 yards and two scores in Week 4, and then a season-high 168 yards in Week 6 while finding pay dirt once in that contest.

On the flip side, Lamb could be in line for a few hundred more yards and as much as a handful of more touchdowns if he can remain healthy for a full 17 in 2026.

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