If you are looking for a possible fantasy wide receiver sleeper, look no further! As you may know, Devin Street, from Pitt, was picked up by the Dallas Cowboys in the 5th round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Watch out for Street to make a large impact on the Cowboys offense from day one.
As we all know, Dallas has a tendency to become overly pass happy, even when it is entirely unnecessary. Coach Jason Garrett has an affinity for the pass already. And with newly brought over offensive coordinator Scott Linehan already talking about an increased number of deep passes, the Cowboys top receivers should all be high up on your radar. One name going rather unnoticed in the bevy of receivers on the roster and being picked up, however, is the most recently drafted receiver, Devin Street. Street is a large receiver, coming in at 6'3" according to NFL.com and possesses a frame that could add a bit more weight. Street, the all-time leading receiver at Pitt, has natural hands with a huge catch radius. He also adds some of the most fluid route-running in this draft class.
While it may seem strange to count on Street with Cole Beasley and Dwayne Harris both looking like your more prototypical NFL slot receivers size-wise, Dallas seems to prefer to go the route of bigger, stronger receivers, as opposed to the smaller, shiftier guys. Take a look back to 2011 when Dallas picked up a relatively unknown draft bust named Laurent Robinson. Robinson was forced into playing time. Through only 14 games played, he racked up 54 receptions, 858 yards with a 15.9 average, and a whopping 11 touchdowns. Robinson did most of his damage out of the slot even though he stood at 6'2" and 205 lbs. For further proof that larger slot receivers excel in Dallas, look no further than last year with, then rookie, Terrance Williams. Williams came out of Baylor and immediately did work out of the slot, pulling in 44 catches for 736 yards and 5 touchdowns. Keep in mind that while Williams is an arguably better athlete, he was/is nowhere near the smooth route-runner that Street is at this point. Williams is also a body catcher, whereas Street will go up and box the defender out for the ball.
This trend of large, unconventional slot receivers making names for themselves out in Dallas leads me to have high hopes for Street, barring any injury. If Street can stay healthy, the sky is the limit for him. I could see him surpassing Williams for the #2 spot on the depth chart somewhere down the line this season. If Street is available as a final pick in your fantasy draft, or even as a free agent, you should take a hard look at picking him up.