Cowboys' Jalen Moreno-Cropper: Dallas' UDFA's Capable of 'Immediate Impact'

The Dallas Cowboys might've found a diamond in the rough in the form of undrafted Fresno State receiver Jalen Moreno-Cropper.

Down in the Valley ... the San Joaquin Valley, to be precise ... the Dallas Cowboys might have found themselves a hidden gem in the aftermath of last weekend's NFL Draft. 

The Cowboys got a shoutout for their post-draft work when Rotowire compiled the undrafted rookies most capable of making an immediate impact with their new team. Former Fresno State receiver Jalen Moreno-Cropper, picked up by the Cowboys after the 259 selections in Kansas City, was among eight catchers listed, joined by potential future NFC East rival Bryce Ford-Wheaton, a West Virginia product who went to the New York Giants.

The training camp battle between Jalen Moreno-Cropper and Jalen Tolbert for the fourth receiver spot is going to be good.

The times I mocked Cropper to the #Cowboys it was always in round five. Getting him as an undrafted free agent is wild. pic.twitter.com/rAwlGs42sQ

— Ernie The Cowboys Fan (@es3_09) May 1, 2023

List curator Mario Puig went as far as to credit Moreno-Cropper for the success of quarterback Jake Haener, an All-Mountain West passer who went to New Orleans in the fourth round over the weekend.

"You can bet (Haener's drafting) never would have happened if not for Moreno-Cropper serving as his WR1 with the Bulldogs," Puig writes. "Moreno-Cropper produced from scrimmage in a way very few players do in college football over however many years you'd like to look, and his 4.40-second 40-yard dash proved he has the speed to continue running away from defenders at the pro level."

Moreno-Cropper fell off of draft boards due to his small size (5-foot-11, 172) but nonetheless left a sizable impact on Bulldogs football. He departs Fresno ranked fourth on the program's receptions list (220) and eighth in receiving yardage (2,701), lists where his companions include Davante Adams and Bernard Berrian. 

The prospect faces a bit of an uphill battle to make the Dallas roster: he wasn't the only receiver the Cowboys added after the draft (joined by Temples's Jose Barbon and Louisiana's John Stephens Jr.) as the team looks to further bolster its depth behind CeeDee Lamb and newly acquired Brandin Cooks. 

Dallas opted for interior defensive help with its premier pick (Michigan's Mazi Smith) before picking up an offensive skill player (tight end and Smith's Ann Arbor teammate Luke Schoonmaker) in round two. Another receiver, South Carolina's Jalen Brooks, arrived with the final pick at 244th overall. But the Cowboys have a rich history of UDFA success .. and maybe Moreno-Cropper can join the list.

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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