LAS VEGAS (SILVER STAR NATION) — The Dallas Cowboys selected wide receiver Jalen Tolbert from South Alabama with pick number 88 in the 2022 NFL Draft.

It seems fitting for the Cowboys to use pick number 88, the iconic number given to the best wide receivers in Dallas history, to draft a wide receiver.

A three-sport letterman out of high school, Tolbert exceled in football, baseball, and basketball, eventually accepting a scholarship to South Alabama, close to his hometown of Mobile.

During his redshirt freshman year at South Alabama, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in camp. The next season, he didn’t start a single game, accounting for only five catches and 60 yards the entire season.

He started all three of the following years, accruing 178 catches for 3,140 yards and 22 touchdowns during his time at South Alabama. He was named First Team All-Sun Belt his junior and senior seasons.

In his junior season, Tolbert set a school record for receiving yards in a single game with 252.

His senior year, Tolbert rewrote the record book at South Alabama, setting school records for the following:

  • Career catches (178)
  • Career receiving yards (3,140)
  • Career receiving touchdowns (22)
  • Receptions in one season season (82),
  • Receiving yards in one season (1,474)
  • Career 100-yard receiving games (10)

Tolbert was the “X” wide receiver at South Alabama, at 6-foot-1 and just shy of 200 pounds with a 4.49 40-yard dash. He excels at accelerating off the line of scrimmage and throttling his speed mid-route, creating separation from cornerbacks.

Tolbert is great at high pointing the ball, with strong hands that give him the ability to win 50/50 balls. The NFL’s Draft Combine compared him to Marvin Jones.

There are a few areas he needs to tighten up, including dropped passes (7 his senior year) and his moves after the catch could use some work.

However, the fact that he was available for the Cowboys at pick 88 makes him an absolute steal in the third round. No question, Tolbert will start immediately and fill a void at the wide receiver position.