There’s been a lot of attention on the Dallas Cowboys defense the past few months. The organization did a lot during the offseason to try and improve on that side of the ball. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t exciting developments this summer in Dallas also on offense. Wide receiver Ryan Flournoy might be one of the more intriguing ones.
On Monday, SB Nation’s Blogging the Boys’ Sean Martin called Flournoy a “consistent winner” early Cowboys training camp.
“Ryan Flournoy has impressed in the third WR role in a way the Cowboys have been lacking for some time. Having two top-dog type receivers that should leave plenty of room for a third to take advantage of coverage mismatches is an area the Cowboys have been good at roster building before, but actually getting that third target to establish himself in a way that keeps the whole offense humming is where they’ve fallen short,” wrote Martin.
“Flournoy’s crispness as a route runner has stood out from the training camp highlight clips, giving the Cowboys a trio of players that can win all over the field.”
Flourney already turned in a solid season during his second NFL campaign last year. He registered 40 catches for 475 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games.
That ranked fourth on the team behind only receivers George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson. And with Flourney’s production last season, the Cowboys were already top 10 in yards and points.
But if Flourney can take another step, the Dallas offense will be even more dangerous.
WR Ryan Flourney Standing Out at Cowboys Training Camp
GettyDallas Cowboys third-year wide receiver Ryan Flournoy has distinguished himself early at Dallas Cowboys training camp.
Trying to get Flournoy to emerge as a bigger offensive weapon is a little bit tricky for the Cowboys. Of course, they would love an elite WR3 option, but the last thing Brian Schottenheimer should want is to take too many opportunities away from Lamb and Pickens.
In 2025, that receiver duo combined for 254 targets. It’s not crazy to suggest it could be more this fall, especially if both are healthy throughout the campaign.
Injuries do happen, though. Last season, it was harder for Pickens to have an impact in games where Lamb didn’t play. In the event either Lamb or Pickens can’t play for a stretch of contests, Flournoy will be very important this season.
In 27 NFL contests through two years, Flournoy has averaged 11.5 yards per reception. He came on strong at the end of last season with 20 catches, 241 receiving yards and two scores in the final four games.
Cowboys WR Depth Entering 2026 NFL Season
GettyWide receivers Ryan Flournoy and Kavontae Turpin are battling for playing time behind Dallas Cowboys stars CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
Flournoy is the most likely candidate to emerge as an elite WR3 for the Cowboys this fall. But they do have other options.
Dallas added veteran wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling in NFL free agency. Valdes-Scantling has won two Super Bowls, and in his prime, was a big-play threat for the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs.
With the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, Valdes-Scantling had 10 catches, 80 receiving yards and a score.
Kavontae Turpin is another potential impact receiver in Dallas for 2026. Turpin makes his biggest plays on special teams. He’s been an All-Pro returner each of the past two seasons.
But with the ball in space on offense, Turpin can also make things happen.
The Cowboys were second in the NFL in total yards and second in passing yards during 2025. Part of why was they were behind in games a fair amount and thus posted the third-most passing attempts in the league.
They were still a rather efficient passing attack too, though, ranking seventh in net passing yards per attempt.
But with Flournoy emerging in an offense set to feature arguably the top receiver duo in the league, the Cowboys have the chance to be even more efficient through the air in 2026.
Cowboys Playmaker Has ‘Arrow Pointing Up’ at NFL Training Camp