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East Carolina WR Anthony Smith.

The Dallas Cowboys have the best wide receiver duo in the NFL with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens — every spot at the position on the roster after those 2 seems like it’s fair game.

One of the surprise contenders in 2026 could be 7th round pick (No. 218 overall) Anthony Smith, who Cowboys Digest called a “hidden gem” for a team already sporting arguably the NFL’s best offense.

Smith, 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds, had a breakout season in his final year at East Carolina in 2025 with career highs of 64 receptions, 1,o53 receiving yards, and 7 touchdowns.

From Cowboys Digest: “(Smith) was 1 of only 2 offensive players selected by the Cowboys in the entire draft. In rookie minicamp, he showed out and caught the eyes of a lot of people … combine the athletic ability with the deep-ball threat of Dak Prescott and that could be a problem. He’s going to be 1 to watch all offseason and into the preseason as well.”

Smith ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds at East Carolina’s Pro Day.

Anthony Smith Spent 1st 4 Seasons in ACC

Smith, a Huntington, Maryland, native, was considered too small to play high school football but went on to play his final 2 seasons and was a state champion sprinter in track.

In 4 seasons at North Carolina State, Smith had just 13 receptions for 243 yards and 3 touchdowns before transferring to East Carolina and thriving with 105 receptions for 1,852 yards and 13 touchdowns in his final 2 seasons.

He capped his career by earning MVP honors in the 2025 Military Bowl with 156 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.

“The Cowboys’ top four receivers are set with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote following the draft. “After that? It’s Parris Campbell, Jonathan Mingo and Traeshon Holden. Smith could have an opportunity to make the back end of the roster provided he has some special teams ability. He started 26 games in his last two seasons at East Carolina and had 64 catches for 1,053 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025. He is a big-play threat with his 4.40-second 40-yard dash speed.”

Cowboys Could Stash WR on Practice Squad

NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein criticized Smith for not being as refined as he should be at this point and gave him a 5.69 overall rating, which means he’s viewed as an end-of-roster player or practice-squad candidate.

“After four quiet seasons at N.C. State, Smith broke out at East Carolina,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. He’s a ‘Z’ receiver with the ability to bypass press and quickly accelerate to top position. He can make athletic adjustments to off-frame throws but lacks consistent hands. His route-running is too sloppy at this juncture and he’ll need more work in that area to run a more expanded tree. His ability to threaten deep carries value, though.”

Since the draft, the Cowboys have added even more wide receivers — they signed 2-tiem Super Bowl champion Marques Valdes-Scantling on April 27.

The 31-year-old Valdes-Scantling — better known as MVS — is 6-foot-4, 206 pounds, and won a pair of Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs following the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He spent time with 3 different teams in 2025 with the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and Pittsburgh Steelers.