The draft is probably the main key for franchises to stay competitive for long periods. There are some teams that have a better draft history than others, and the Dallas Cowboys can be put in the list of those who excel at selecting young players.
In the 2022 NFL Draft there were some concerns around first-round pick Tyler Smith, while getting Jalen Tolbert in the third round was seemed like a steal. However, the story was exactly the opposite based on how they performed on the field.
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Tolbert was almost absent the whole season despite playing in a top 10 offense. The wide receiver finished with just two receptions for 12 yards. Those numbers might have labelled him as a bad pick for some, but he is ready to revert what happened in his rookie season.
Jalen Tolbert opens up on his underwhelming rookie season
The statistics show how disappointing his performance was. He appeared in 89 offensive snaps, although getting only three targets shows even better that the coaching staff didn’t see him ready to take on a bigger role. That’s something he wants to leave behind.
“Obviously last year didn’t go how I wanted it. I’m taking it personal. I’m looking forward to proving everybody wrong. Obviously, I hear a lot, so I love it. I didn’t have the year that I wanted, and I take full responsibility for it. I’m looking forward to making that Year 2 jump and continuing to work and build chemistry and continue to do positive things on and off the field with these guys. I’m excited for this year,” Tolbert said in an interview with Jon Machota of The Athletic.
It’s important for a young player to be accountable, and the most interesting thing is that he knows why it went wrong. “I was thinking a lot more than I should be thinking. Instead of just going out there and being myself. Speed is a strong point of mine, so being able to go out there and threaten vertically with my speed and selling routes. Sometimes I was timid running routes and wasn’t really myself in a way”, Tolbert explained.
