The Dallas Cowboys have much to look forward to in 2026, with a rebuilt defense that hopes to be somewhere around league average after a miserable 2025 and an offense that is loaded with some of the league’s best weapons, especially at wide receiver, with two potential No. 1 options–George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb–lining up as bookends. The Cowboys were No. 2 in pass yardage last season in the NFL, and were No. 5 in passing touchdowns. As long as health holds up, there’s little reason to believe that won’t happen again.
For those fans and observers who prefer to stay in the moment, that’s all that matters. At his best, Pickens put up 1,429 yards last year for the Cowboys. At his best, Lamb put up a Cowboys record 1,735 yards in 2023. That is a deadly combo.
But the fans who are looking ahead a bit know well that Pickens is playing on the NFL’s franchise tag, a one-year, $27.3 million contract, and is slated to hit free agency again next winter. Whatever the Cowboys’ offense accomplishes this season, it’s probably going to be the last look at this bunch together.
National Champ Charlie Becker in Place of George Pickens?
Now, presumably, the Cowboys have a No. 2 option in waiting–Ryan Flournoy, who posted two 100-yard games last season when Lamb was injured, and caught 40 passes for 475 yards and four touchdowns. And the Cowboys saw good things from UDFA Camden Brown this preseason. But if neither replaces Pickens in free agency, the presumption is that the Cowboys could seek another receiver in free agency or the draft.
That’s where Indiana’s surehanded Charlie Becker could in. The junior receiver has not posted crazy numbers for the Hoosiers, but he has established himself as one of the most clutch pass-catchers in the college ranks. He had six catches for 126 yards against Ohio State in the Big Ten championship, caught two touchdowns in the CFB Playoffs and had four catches for 65 in Indiana’s championship win.
One early mock draft has Charlie Becker landing with the Cowboys.
https://x.com/AndyyNFL/status/2096302267922252013
Charlie Becker a Future Cowboys Draft Possibility
Yes, that’s how SI.com’s Justin Melo sees it. The Cowboys, picking with the Packers‘ choice at what is projected for now to be No. 23 (the Cowboys owe the better of their pick and the Packers’ pick to the Jets), go with Becker, presumably after having moved on from Pickens in the winter.
Writes Melo: “The Dallas Cowboys refused to give wide receiver George Pickens a long-term extension, instead slapping him with the franchise tag. This will almost certainly be Pickens’ second and final season in Dallas. With a replacement needed, Indiana’s Charlie Becker concluded the 2025 campaign in really strong fashion, and he has huge 2026 breakout potential now that Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt are gone.
Cowboys Would Be in ‘Difficult Situation’ Keeping George Pickens
It is possible that the Cowboys could keep Pickens. They did, after all, just free up cap space with restructures last week, and have the option of putting the franchise tag on Pickens again. They also could reverse course, keep Pickens and trade away Lamb.
But team COO Stephen Jones, talking with the DLLS Cowboys podcast crew, made it clear that keeping both Pickens and Lamb is just not realistic.
Said Jones: “The situation we have with George Pickens going alongside CeeDee, I don’t know of any teams that can pay two top receivers top of the market, so that’s going to be a real difficult situation as we move forward. We’ve managed to figure out how we can do it for this year. If everything works out the way we think it is, with CeeDee and George both having huge years again, then it will be a bigger challenge next year. George is wanting to put back-to-back years on top of one another so it will help his market.
“And certainly I know at some point, will want to be rewarded with a long-term contract.”
Cowboys Predicted to Add Champion George Pickens Replacement