Getty CeeDee Lamb scores touchdown
From the opening day of Dallas Cowboys training camp, CeeDee Lamb was dropping jaws and gaping mouths.
Talk about a first impression; his inaugural catch in a Cowboys uniform was a one-handed snare. Lamb’s elite body control and gravity-defying agility — cutting on the grass or gliding through the air — truly is a sight to behold, God-gifted skills that made him the No. 17 overall pick in April’s draft.
He’s presented glimpses of insane NFL upside through only a handful of camp practices, doing enough to justify his first-round selection. But on Friday, the former Oklahoma sensation literally went above and beyond to remove any residual doubt.
He isn’t going to shine at the next level. Because he already is.
Rocking the team’s revered No. 88, Lamb exhibited legendary shades on the final play of the morning practice, skying over cornerback Daryl Worley for a dazzling “walk-off” touchdown. Worley’s coverage was good; Lamb was better, high-pointing the Dak Prescott pass and keeping his feet inbounds in the back right corner of the end zone.
Check it out:
Here is a TD catch by #Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb in Friday’s practice.
(Via @dallascowboys)
That would be extraordinary for an ordinary receiver, which Lamb certainly is not. The 21-year-old created a collegiate highlight reel comprised almost exclusively of breathtaking grabs. He referenced one in particular — a one-handed, back-handed stab along the sideline against UCLA in 2018, ruled incomplete — when asked about Friday’s marvel.
“I was actually surprised that I caught it. But it was one of the type of catches I’ve made in my backyard. I tried to convince the ref (I was inbounds),” Lamb said, via The Athletic.
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High Praise from Dak
The franchise signal-caller and coach-appointed WR1 also hooked up multiple times Thursday as the team returned from its day off. When these two get going, even the most mundane pitch-and-catches appear impressive.
With his propensity to dazzle and versatility to play all three receiver spots, Lamb is a passer’s dream. And it speaks volumes to said passer that he’s relegating Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and Ezekiel Elliott to back-page headlines.
“He’s a smart kid, a smart individual,” Prescott said of Lamb on Thursday, via ESPN. “He’s been picking it all up, whether it’s adjustments from the formations and plays, that hasn’t slowed him down or slowed his game down any bit at all. I mean, he’s just an athletic player. Very gifted. Good hands. Has a great feel for the game. I think that’s probably the most impressive thing, to be a young rookie playing in the slot and just have a feel for the game and know where to be.”
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL