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Dallas Cowboys: Is DaeSean Hamilton on the NFL Draft radar?

By Stephen Forsha

GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 30: Wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton #5 of the Penn State Nittany Lions Lions catches a 48 yard touchdown reception past defensive back Myles Bryant #5 of the Washington Huskies during the first half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 30: Wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton #5 of the Penn State Nittany Lions Lions catches a 48 yard touchdown reception past defensive back Myles Bryant #5 of the Washington Huskies during the first half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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The Dallas Cowboys need some new players at the wide receiver position. Could DaeSean Hamilton be a mid-to-late-round steal in the 2018 NFL Draft?

Something has to change for the Dallas Cowboys at the wide receiver position, and with the way things are looking in late January, that could be the case heading forward. There is uncertainty on what the Dez Bryant decision will be due to contract issues, Terrance Williams hasn’t improved since his contract signing and the depth of the position needs an overhaul of sorts when looking back at last season.

One of the ways the Cowboys could improve at wide receiver is by adding one or two in the NFL Draft, and if they decide to wait until Day 2 or even early in Day 3 of the 2018 NFL Draft, then the player they should have on their radar is Penn State’s DaeSean Hamilton.

Hamilton will most likely be drafted on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, as CBS Sports currently has him ranked at the 146th overall draft prospect and 19th-ranked wide receiver. Standing at 6-1 and weighing 205 pounds, Hamilton is built to take an NFL hit, and better yet, he has speed and can catch the football when thrown in his direction.

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The Penn State standout played four seasons of college football. This past season with the Nittany Lions, he totaled four games of over 100 or more yards receiving and had at least one reception in each game played during his senior year.

In his final collegiate game in the Fiesta Bowl against Washington, Hamilton totaled five receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Hamilton’s most productive game on the stat sheet was on Sept. 30 against Indiana, where he caught nine passes for 122 yards and three touchdowns.

In an recent article Dane Brugler for SportsDay.DallasNews said Hamilton could be a fourth-round pick for the Cowboys if they were to select a wide receiver in that round. In the article, Brugler wrote:

"“Penn State’s all-time leading receiver isn’t the biggest, strongest or fastest, but he uses savvy footwork and natural body control to get open and make himself available to the quarterback.”"

Now, the question is: how does Hamilton fit with the Cowboys offense? For starters Hamilton runs excellent routes and will find a way to be open.

To be honest, is there any reason to be sold on any of the Cowboys receivers following last season? Bryant hasn’t had a 1,000-yard receiving season since 2014 and will be entering his ninth NFL season. In each of the past three seasons, Bryant’s numbers have been down compared to his numbers from 2011-14. Plus it isn’t a guarantee the Cowboys will have Bryant on the roster next season, so Hamilton could fill in at times in that role as well.

Williams has never had a 1,000-yard receiving season, and this past year he averaged 10.7 yards per reception and totaled zero touchdowns. There is also the uncertainty on whether the Cowboys will keep Cole Beasley, who is coming off a 36-catch season for 314 yards and four touchdowns. Don’t forget about Brice Butler, who had 15 receptions for 317 yards and three touchdowns.

Waiting in the wings as a slot receiver for the Cowboys is Ryan Switzer, who in his rookie season had six receptions for 41 yards.

Hamilton has the ability to challenge the wide receivers of the Cowboys with his aforementioned ability to get space and find openings against the opposing defense. The Cowboys need a bigger wide receiver to make his mark when they need a reception, and Hamilton could be that guy.

While at Penn State, he faced some defensive backs who will be drafted in the NFL in April, plus he’s used to playing with a superstar running back like he did at Penn State with Saquon Barkley. If defeated by the Cowboys, he could work well with the likes of Ezekiel Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott.

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Hamilton totaled 2,842 yards with 214 receptions in four seasons at PSU and twice caught for over 800 yards, including his senior season with 53 receptions for 857 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games.

The more weapons on offense the Cowboys can provide Prescott in his third season, the better, as the offense was a bit stale in 2017. A player like Hamilton could be one of the players needed to make the offense better in 2018.

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