Cowboys' Dak Prescott Hopes CeeDee Lamb Is 'My Receiver Until I’m Done Playing'

CeeDee Lamb became the de facto No. 1 receiver for the Dallas Cowboys after Amari Cooper was traded to the Cleveland Browns this offseason, and quarterback Dak Prescott is hoping their already fruitful partnership extends for years to come. 

He even moved Lamb's locker next to his own, per ESPN's Todd Archer.

“My two other locker mates left so I was a little lonely and I decided, you know, he’s the guy,” Prescott said. “So just me knowing that hopefully he’s my receiver until I’m done playing, just bring him closer, more conversation since he’s right there, accessible to talk, just communicate.”

With both Cooper and Cedrick Wilson—who signed with the Miami Dolphins in free agency—now gone and Michael Gallup recovering from a torn ACL that could keep him out of action through the start of the 2022 season, Lamb is the clear No. 1 in the Cowboys' passing game. 

In his short NFL career, Lamb has more than looked like a player capable of being a star:

• 2020: 74 catches for 935 yards and five touchdowns on 111 targets in 16 games.
• 2021: 79 catches for 1,102 yards and six touchdowns on 120 targets in 16 games; Pro Bowler.

Without Cooper and Wilson around, and potentially no Gallup at the start of the season, Lamb is going to have to grow accustomed to being the main focus of opposing defenses. 

James Washington (24 catches for 285 yards and two touchdowns for the Pittsburgh Steelers last year) and rookie Jalen Tolbert will potentially be the next two receivers on the depth chart behind him come September, two players who will only have had one offseason to work with Prescott.

So if Lamb doesn't produce, the Cowboys are going to struggle through the air. 

"We understand his rise in Year 3 that he's going to get a lot more attention from the defense," Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told Archer. "But he's doing all of the little things that are needed to get him ready to be the No. 1 guy."

But Lamb is ready for that responsibility, and that pressure. 

"Most importantly, just stepping up regardless of any situation, first down, second down, just always being that guy that everyone can count on," he said. "And by everyone, I mean everyone in this locker room. I want to be accountable. I want to be that guy."