“He's going to play a huge role in our success” - When Dak Prescott made feelings known about CeeDee Lamb before WR’s rookie season
Dallas Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott was hyped when former Oklahoma Sooners wideout CeeDee Lamb was drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft as the 17th overall pick. The rookie wide receiver had a brilliant record playing for the Sooners, recording 3292 receiving yards from 173 receptions for 32 touchdowns.
Although Prescott had played alongside some elite and talented receivers in his career by then, he was excited to see Lamb on the team. In a brief conference call with reporters in September 2020, Prescott praised Lamb’s inclusion in the team and revealed his expectations for the rookie WR, saying:
“It's exciting. As I said before, he's going to play a huge role in our success, not only this year but in the future. I'm excited for it. Excited for him.”
Prescott further shared that he had high expectations for Lamb after they met in the offseason. He added:
“My confidence is to the roof with him,” he continued, “When he came in, I had high expectations for him because of the guy that I initially met in the offseason when we were throwing and when we were getting together. You could just tell the type of guy he is, the type of player, the type of competitor he is. So my expectations for him rose immediately from that meeting.”
Lamb was equally excited playing with Prescott. In an appearance on "1053 The Fan," Lamb said:
“I’m enjoying it, man. His knowledge on the field is impeccable. Just going in there, knowing I can ask him anything and he’ll have the answer for me, that builds my confidence as a rookie WR and just as a WR in general.”
The mutual trust soon yielded results for the Cowboys in the next few seasons.
CeeDee Lamb becomes Dak Prescott's most trusted target
Lamb has now become Prescott’s most trusted receiver in just four seasons. Although Prescott suffered an injury in 2020, Lamb had a decent outing with 935 receiving yards from 74 receptions for five TDs.
However, in 2022, he had a breakout season with 1359 yards from 107 receptions for nine TDs. By the end of the 2023 season, Lamb reached an elite status when he set the franchise reception record with 135 receptions for 12 TDs.The 2024 season saw his numbers drop to 101 receptions for six touchdowns.