Just six month before the Dallas Cowboys made one of the more significant trade moves of the team’s recent history–adding George Pickens from the Steelers in a package for a third-round pick–Dallas made another grab for a talented-but-maligned player who had the potential to be the WR2 next to CeeDee Lamb. That was Jonathan Mingo.
The Cowboys traded the No. 114 pick in the 2025 NFL draft for Mingo at the trade deadline. In May of last year, Dallas traded No. 76 overall in 2026 to the Steelers for Pickens. What a difference 38 picks makes, eh?
Pickens, of course, went on to post 1,429 yards receiving last year, third in the NFL and fourth all-time in the Cowboys’ single-season record book. After his star turn, there was talk of him getting a contract in the $120 million-plus range, before he wound up being franchise-tagged by the Cowboys.
Mingo? In a season-and-a-half he has played 14 forgettable games for the Cowboys, with six total catches. He tallied one catch, for 25 yards, in all of last season.
Cowboys Wide Receiver Room is Crowded
The emergence of Cowboys sixth-rounder Ryan Flournoy behind Pickens last year, and the presence of Kavontae Turpin as the team’s No. 4 receiver/gadget-play specialist means there really is not room or need for Mingo. Moreover, the Cowboys added receiver Anthony Smith with the first pick of the seventh round and signed veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling as a free agent.
The receiver depth chart is crowded. And despite the cost of a fourth-rounder for Mingo, it will be hard for Dallas to justify keeping him on the roster through the 2026 season.
Jonathan Mingo Not Long for Cowboys
That’s why, in listing four players who might be in trouble to hang onto their roster spots in 2026 at the Blogging the Boys Cowboys website, Mingo was arguably the highlight–or, at least, the most consequential, given what the Cowboys gave up to bring him in.
In an article titled, “4 Cowboys on the chopping block following the draft,” the site noted that the Cowboys have, “realistically one, maybe two, spots left on the team at wide receiver. Dallas added Parris Campbell, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and drafted Anthony Smith in the seventh round. It’s become apparent that at the bottom of the roster, the Cowboys are searching for speed. If it comes to only five receivers, Mingo could be on the outside looking in.”
Given how little Mingo has done to claim his spot on the roster heading into 2026, that is not a big surprise. He was only one-and-a-half years removed from being a second-round pick when Carolina gave up on him in 2024, so it also should not be a surprise that the Cowboys have gotten little out of him, too.
GettyRyan Flournoy #19 of the Dallas Cowboys
Ryan Flournoy Most Likely Took Jonathan Mingo’s Role
While the rise of Pickens tends to get the most attention, especially when it comes to sinking the career of Mingo, it’s probably more accurate to point to Flournoy’s Cowboys breakout as the real reason Mingo never saw much of the field last season. At his best, Mingo was not going to be anything more than a No. 3 on the depth chart, a role that Flournoy filled so admirably last year.
More is expected from Flournoy, who was solid even when both Lamb and Pickens were healthy, but who did the most important thing a No. 3 can do on an NFL roster–he played like a WR2 when there were injuries ahead of him.
Flournoy finished the year with 40 catches for 475 yards and four touchdowns. He had four games with at least four catches and two games of 1oo-plus yards.
Cowboys Trade Pickup Already Facing ‘Chopping Block’