In the immortal words of the great 20th century philosophers Cinderella, “you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone.” For a year and some change the Cowboys enjoyed the presence of veteran receiver Brandin Cooks on their offense. Despite falling short of some initial expectations, the 31-year-old pass catcher was a stable presence and legitimate option as WR2 during that time.

For the past seven games the Cowboys got a taste of what life is like without a true No. 2 WR on their roster. Cooks fell to a knee injury in Week 4, forcing Jalen Tolbert to move up the depth chart and leaving his own vacated No. 3 role a revolving door of unproven personnel. Not only was Tolbert clearly fighting above his weight class but no one behind him proved they were ready to step up and fill the void either.

Cooks’ return in Week 13 against the Giants illustrated just how important a true WR2 really is on this team. Three receptions for 16 yards doesn’t sound like much, but when one of those balls is a touchdown and the other a perfectly executed third-down conversion that iced the game, the actual value he added was significant.

In a revelation that’s more about the role of WR2 than the actual WR2 himself, Cooks’ return shows finding a true No. 2 pass catcher this offseason is extremely important for the Cowboys offense. The Cowboys were able to survive the poor outing by CeeDee Lamb on Thursday by having Cooks on the field. Cooks’ veteran presence combined with KaVonate Turpin’s increased usage and Tolbert’s key plays, saved the Cowboys passing game on Thanksgiving Day. It was a trickle-down effect that allowed everyone to play within themselves.

Cooks himself is slated for free agency this winter and expected to leave. Finding someone at least as good, preferably better, has to be a key objective for the Cowboys front office. A free agent class that features Tee Higgins, Stephon Diggs, Amari Cooper, Chris Godwin and Diontae Johnson probably falls outside Dallas’ budget.

If the Cowboys want to properly address the WR2 position it will likely involve a top 50 draft pick. Luckily for Dallas this happens to be a solid WR draft class in 2025. It would be nice to get elite talents like Travis Hunter or Tetairoa McMillan at the top of the first round but if the Cowboys find themselves outside the top 10, they have a chance at plenty of other attractive options.

Dane Brugler from The Athletic currently has Luther Burden and Elic Ayomanor as first round options next spring. Emeka Egbuka, Evan Stewart, and Isaiah Bond are further down the list but also fall inside his top 50. Every one of these players has the ability to be an instant contributor at WR2.

For seven weeks the Cowboys got a taste of what it’s like without a true WR2 on the roster and it wasn’t pretty. Let this lesson serve as a guide when the Cowboys work out their to-do list this winter.

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