As far as problems go in the 2026 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys have an enviable one. They have two of the best receivers in the league, lining up in the same offense and just so happen to be catching passes from one of the best quarterbacks in the league. We know that the receivers–CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens–are among the best in the NFL because ESPN just released its survey of coaches and executives on the subject, and both finished in the Top 10.
Just after quarterback Dak Prescott was ranked No. 6 in the league in the same survey, Lamb and Pickens get their flowers. Lamb was rated No. 6 in the NFL and Pickens, after his breakout showing in 2025, is rated No. 7. The only other team with two players on the list is the Rams, who had Puka Nacua at No. 4 and Davante Adams at No. 10.
All things considered, it’s a nice spot for the Cowboys to be in.
Cowboys George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb Draw Compliments
Certainly, those around the league were especially kind to the Cowboys duo. In the survey, done by insider Jeremy Fowler, both players got considerable compliments.
“With his ability to separate and make big plays, the attention he demands creates opportunities for others in the offense,” an NFC scout told Fowler about Lamb. “He’s still on the short list of guys who give you problems consistently.”
Lamb missed three games last year, and struggled somewhat with an ankle injury. He finished with 75 catches and 1,077 yards, and missed a chunk of another game with a concussion.
But the Cowboys weathered tough times with Lamb thanks to the 93-catch, 1,429-yard season from Pickens. One coordinator said that Pickens had overtaken Lamb as the Cowboys’ true No. 1 option.
Another “veteran NFL offensive coach” told Fowler, “One of the best I’ve ever seen at the contested catch. There’s such untapped ability there. It’s just a consistency issue and where his head’s at week to week.”
George Pickens Turned Around Career With Cowboys
Questions about Pickens’ head dominated early in his career, when he spent three years with the Steelers and earned a reputation for a lack of professionalism and work ethic. But that all seemed to be put behind last year. Still, the Cowboys would not commit a long-term contract to Pickens this offseason, instead giving him a one-year, $27 million franchise-tag offer, which he signed.
That’s a bargain for the Cowboys, but the problem could come next season, when the Cowboys either try to tag Pickens again, or try to re-sign him in free agency. His price keeps going up, and if he backs up what he did in 2025 with another great year in 2026, he will push himself to the top of the quickly rising receiver market.
CeeDee Lamb Making $34 Million Annually
Pickens could be a $40 million AAV player at this time next year. With Lamb already on a $34 million AAV contract, that’s just too much of an investment in two receivers. The Cowboys have given no indication that they’d be willing to have that level of roster imbalance.
Those coaches and coordinators who see Pickens as a No. 1–the ones who put him as the seventh-best WR in the game–could well see him on the market, getting No. 1 money. The Cowboys (unless they deal Lamb, of course) won’t be able to keep him in place.
Cowboys Stars’ Top-10 Rankings Could Foretell Coming Problem