Since being taken by the Dallas Cowboys with the 17th overall selection in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, CeeDee Lamb has done some serious damage.
As a rookie, the Oklahoma alum caught 74 passes, shattering Bob Hayes’ previous rookie record of 46, although he did fall short of Bullet Bob’s franchise mark for yardage, coming up 68 shy with 935. Yeah, Hayes’ 21.8 yards per catch average in 1965 was absurd.
Since that first season, though, Lamb has gone for at least 1,100 yards per season and has caught at least 101 passes in each of the last three years.
The crown jewel of his career thus far, of course, was his First-Team All-Pro campaign in 2023, during which he set single-season franchise records for receptions and yardage, catching 135 passes for 1,749 yards.
For reference, both marks previously belonged to another famous No. 88, three-time Super Bowl champ Michael Irvin, who recorded 111 receptions for 1,603 yards in 1995.
Overall, through his first five seasons in Dallas, Lamb has amassed 496 regular-season receptions for 6,339 yards, already ranking fourth and seventh, respectively, on the Cowboys’ all-time lists in those two categories.
And with a strong 2025 campaign, the 26-year-old can catch yet another fellow No. 88, Dez Bryant, on both franchise leaderboards.
CeeDee Lamb needs just 36 catches to pass Dez Bryant for third on the Cowboys’ all-time receptions list
As mentioned, Lamb’s 496 regular-season receptions currently has him in fourth place on the Cowboys’ all-time list, trailing only 11-time Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten and a pair of fellow wideouts who wore Dallas’ famed No. 88, the aforementioned Michael Irvin and Dez Bryant.
Lamb moved into that fourth position on his own with the first of seven catches during his final appearance of the 2024 campaign in Week 16 in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, breaking out of a tie with yet another No. 88, Drew Pearson, who caught 489 passes for Dallas from 1973 to 1983.
| Player | Seasons | Receptions |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Witten | 2003-2019 | 1,215 |
| Michael Irvin | 1988-1999 | 750 |
| Dez Bryant | 2010-2017 | 531 |
| CeeDee Lamb | 2020-2024 | 496 |
| Drew Pearson | 1973-1983 | 489 |
As you can see, Lamb now needs just 36 receptions in 2025 to surpass Bryant for solo third, which, barring a serious injury at the start of the season, shouldn’t be a problem whatsoever.
If CeeDee maintains his career average of just over six catches per game, he’ll pass Dez in Week 6 when Dallas visits the Carolina Panthers.
Lamb needs 1,121 receiving yards to pass Dez for fifth all-time in the Dallas record books
Again, as mentioned, as it pertains to career regular-season receiving yards for those who’ve worn a Dallas uniform, Lamb currently ranks seventh.
| Player | Seasons | Receiving Yards |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Witten | 2003-2019 | 12,977 |
| Michael Irvin | 1988-1989 | 11,904 |
| Tony Hill | 1977-1986 | 7,988 |
| Drew Pearson | 1973-1983 | 7,822 |
| Dez Bryant | 2010-2017 | 7,459 |
| Bob Hayes | 1965-1974 | 7,295 |
| CeeDee Lamb | 2020-2024 | 6,339 |
As you can see in this regard, Lamb needs 957 yards to surpass Hayes for sixth and 1,121 to pass Bryant to move into the top five. Again, barring injury, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Despite missing a pair of games this past season, CeeDee still racked up 1,194 yards in 15 appearances.
If Lamb maintains his career average of 78.3 yards per game, he’d surpass Bryant in Week 16 at AT&T Stadium against the Los Angeles Chargers. But if he maintains his per-game average from the past three seasons, which comes out to 87.8 yards, he’d knock Dez out of the top five in Week 14 on the road against the Detroit Lions.
Now, as to where Lamb sits on the Cowboys’ all-time receiving touchdowns list, he currently ranks ninth with 38. He’s certainly not catching Bryant this year, as Dez is the franchise’s all-time leader in that department with 73.
CeeDee could, however, break into the top five, needing 14 to pass Tony Hill, who currently resides in solo fifth with 51. But that would take a career high from Lamb, whose current best is 12 from his 2023 campaign.
