Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images Michael Gallup catches a pass in the NFL preseason.
If you want some added hype behind one of the Dallas Cowboys most intriguing selections from the 2018 NFL Draft, leave it to Jerry Jones to get the job done.
The expectations were high early on for the team’s third-round pick in former Colorado State wide receiver Michael Gallup. Since that point, they’ve only continued to grow at a rapid rate. So much so, that on Friday, the Cowboys owner told 105.3 The Fan (via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News) that he’s expecting Gallup to start in Week 1.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones praising rookie WR Michael Gallup on @1053thefan: “I think he’s going to start off opening day, I think he’ll be part of our plan. He’s really a lot better player than when he got here.”
After the Cowboys opted to part ways with No. 1 receiver Dez Bryant, his potential replacement has been a hot-button topic. Gallup has emerged to put together some solid performances, but it was unknown (and still is) how the wide receiver snaps will look this season.
In Gallup’s first preseason game with the Cowboys, he caught just one pass, but it was an impressive 30-yard touchdown from Dak Prescott. His second preseason game wasn’t quite as exciting, as he hauled in just 2-of-5 targets for 16 yards.
The 22-year-old pass-catcher showed tremendous upside during his two seasons at Colorado State. In his junior season, he caught 76 passes for 1,272 yards and 14 touchdowns. The encore performance from Gallup featured 100 receptions for 1,418 yards and seven touchdowns in 2017.
Prescott and Gallup showed an early connection, and if that can roll into the regular season, there’s reason to believe the rookie could have a big first year.