CeeDee Lamb Got Paid Like a No. 1 Receiver, Because That's Exactly What He Is

Finally, Jerry Jones made the right call with one of three best players.

After a spring and summer of wondering if and when Jones would do anything with the contractual situations of quarterback Dak Prescott, receiver CeeDee Lamb, and edge-rusher Micah Parsons, we now have the news that the Cowboys have given Lamb a four-year, $136 million contract extension with a $38 million signing bonus that is the highest ever given to a wide receiver. The contract comes on the heels of several big deals given to other major receivers this offseason, and it puts Lamb on pace to start in Week 1 of the regular season against the Cleveland Browns.

"The schedule that we have for the week, frankly, fits into a ramp-up mode," head coach Mike McCarthy said after the deal was done. "I don't feel like we have to do a whole lot of adjusting. Obviously, we're gonna have a plan for him."

McCarthy was obviously happy with the result.

"The talent has been extremely evident since this young man has stepped on a football field," said the Cowboys' head coach. "Not only does he play every position on the offensive perimeter, but he's also an exceptional returner, and he loves it. He loves being in the backfield and loves running the ball [as well]. He gives you that opportunity to not only take advantage of that schematically, but he's damn good at all of it."

Selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Oklahoma, Lamb set personal highs last season in targets (197), receptions (144), catch rate (73.1%), and receiving touchdowns (12). He also ran the ball 15 times for 118 yards and two more touchdowns (all personal bests, as well), and as McCarthy said, he's damn good at it.

Still, there are those who will insist that Lamb, for all he has done in his four-year career, is merely on the periphery of No. 1 receiver status. I'm not sure what those people are thinking when they say it. Lamb has the size (6-foot-2, 200 pounds), the straight-line speed, the vertical precision, the route awareness, and the toughness in traffic in a combo package that rivals just about anybody else's. My theory is that Lamb makes things look too easy on the field, and he's unfairly debited as a result.

So, on the occasion of this whopping new contract, let's bust the myth that CeeDee Lamb is anything but a top receiver in the league by going through all the ways he's able to beat defenses.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Next Gen Stats unless otherwise indicated).

Winning against press coverage

Today's NFL requires the best receivers to win against both aggressive press coverage (where the cornerback is right up on the receiver, jams him at the line of scrimmage, and then follows him through the route) and match coverage (where the cornerback waits for the receiver to declare his route from the line of scrimmage, and then follows him through the route).

Lamb is one of the league's best receivers against both types of coverage. Overall against press coverage in 2023, he caught 28 passes on 40 targets against press for 400 yards, two touchdowns, and a Receiving EPA of +25.7 — fourth-best in the NFL behind Tyreek HIll, Brandon Aiyuk, and Nico Collins.

The Los Angeles Rams tried over and over to press Lamb in their Week 8 matchup — both in aggressive press and match — and nothing they did worked. Lamb is simply too strong and too route-aware to become stymied by any cornerback trying to take away his lunch money.

Winning against off coverage

So, if Lamb is that great against press coverage, opposing defenders might have a better chance against him in off coverage, right?

Not so fast.

Last season, when cornerbacks were off the line of scrimmage against him, Lamb caught 79 passes on 105 targets for 998 yards, seven touchdowns, and a Receiving EPA of +49.9, the NFL's third-best. Lamb is so good at getting under off coverage with slants and option routes, and once he's in a scramble drill, the cornerback is in a lot more trouble than he is. This 92-yard touchdown against the Detroit Lions in Week 17 is proof of the theory.

Winning from the slot

Last season, no matter how you slice up the metrics, Lamb was the NFL's most devastating slot receiver. He caught 75 of 102 targets from the slot for 992 yards, eight touchdowns, and a Receiving EPA of +51.1 — all of those numbers led the NFL among receivers.

Lamb is such a problem in the slot because he's a master of the two-way go, he can beat up any cornerback with option routes (as previously mentioned), and his yards-after-catch acumen is as good as it gets in the NFL.

Lamb is also tremendously aware of how his own part in route combinations when he's in the slot, which makes Dallas' offense that much more dangerous when he's on the field, whether he's getting the ball or not. Because you do not want to be late when CeeDee Lamb takes something "easy" from the slot and houses it, as the Miami Dolphins learned in Week 16 on this 49-yard touchdown.

Winning from the outside

So, yeah... Lamb is great from the slot, but do not make the mistake of underestimating him when he's aligned outside the numbers. As an outside receiver last season, Lamb caught 64 passes on 84 targets for 841 yards, four touchdowns, and a Receiving EPA of +43.5 — seventh-best in the NFL.

When you watch outside receivers, the thing you want to see is that they can beat defenders as the true "X-iso" target — the guy who can line up against the opponent's best cornerback with no help to his side, and make things happen.

Last season, per Pro Football Focus, the Cowboys lined up in more 2x2 formations (543) than 3x1 sets (460), so putting Lamb out there as the iso guy wasn't a primary schematic constraint. But he still showed more than enough examples of the ability to win one-on-one in that style for it to not be a negative question.

D.J. Reed of the Jets would likely agree.

Winning vertically

We've already seen a few examples of Lamb winning downfield, and overall, the numbers check out. In 2023, Lamb caught 14 passes of 20 or more air yards on 29 targets for 430 yards, four touchdowns, and a Receiving EPA of +25.6, sixth-best in the NFL. Lamb doesn't just have straight vertical speed to torch defenses, though he's got that as well — what really sets him apart is how well he'll set up enemy cornerbacks to think that one thing's about to happen... and then the other thing happens .

Eli Ricks of the Philadelphia Eagles is probably still recovering from this wicked little move Lamb put on him in Week 9 for a 29-yard reception.

CeeDee Lamb got what he deserved

Now that the Cowboys have paid Lamb accordingly, it's time for Jerry Jones to make things right with Lamb's quarterback. Pre-extension, Dallas had over $28 million in cap space for the 2024 league year, so there will be enough in the kitty to make Dak Prescott whole, as well.

But no matter what happens with Prescott or anybody else on the team, it's time to put to bed the notion that CeeDee Lamb isn't a true No. 1 receiver. No matter the test, he's proven that he's among the best.

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