Looking to Progress: Michael Gallup
While Dallas didn’t draft a wide receiver early in 2018, they did end up grabbing a player they really liked in the third round. After the draft, it was reported that the Cowboys considered Colorado State receiver Michael Gallup in the second round but went with offensive lineman Connor Williams from Texas, who they had higher on their board.
To their surprise, Gallup was still available in the third and they happily took him 81st overall. As a rookie, Gallup had his highs and lows. He struggled early, as the whole team did, but came on as the year progressed. He finished his rookie campaign with 507 yards on 33 receptions with two touchdowns.
Gallup made some nice plays downfield for Dallas and could have had more. In a huge win over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football, Gallup had broken free down the sidelines but was missed by Dak Prescott. They still won the game but that deep score would have put it away much earlier.
Heading into his sophomore season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Gallup and Dak have a better connection and start to hit on those big plays. Hopefully, that could also lead to a better catching percentage as it took 68 targets to get Gallup his 33 receptions.
He’s a talented young man who grew throughout the season. 2019 should be all about him staking his claim as a legitimate starter who can hurt defenses that focus too heavily on Amari Cooper.