With Dez Bryant’s release, wide receiver has certainly become a higher priority for the Dallas Cowboys in the upcoming draft. Even so, current receivers will still be relied upon to step up and pick up some of the slack.

With Allen Hurns added to the mix and projected to take a majority of Bryant’s snaps, one other receiver worth keeping an eye on is second-year pro Noah Brown.

Brown, a seventh-round pick in 2017 from Ohio State, played in 13 games in 2017, catching just four passes for 33 yards.

Not much production, but he can expect those numbers to go up in 2018.

Brown is eerily similar to Bryant in terms of his physique. Both receivers stand at 6-foot-2 with Bryant currently weighing 220 pounds while Brown is 225. Most draftniks considered Brown a player who was leaving school a year early. If he had stayed in Columbus, who knows what Brown would be considered in this year’s draft class. Instead, he spent a year getting professional tutelage as an understudy to a man with a remarkably similar physical build.

At his pro day, Bryant ran a 4.52 40-yard dash; Noah Brown ran a 4.57 at his. Neither Bryant nor Brown are the fastest receivers, but where they excel is with their size and physicality.

Bryant had elite quickness out the gate. Brown had much better agility scores.

The point is that if the Cowboys are looking to try and replace Bryant’s production, Brown already possesses some of the necessary traits to grow into a similar role. He likely will never be what Bryant was, but a close facsimile could be all the Cowboys need him to be as a receiver at the X position.

Another benefit Brown has is that his new position coach, Sanjay Lal, is considered around the league to be an excellent teacher of the game. If he can live up to his reputation, Brown should benefit and tap into some of the immense potential he flashed at Ohio State.

Brown’s most memorable collegiate game was in a 2016 contest against Oklahoma where he caught five passes for 72 yards, with four being touchdowns. It’s not a huge sample size, but it shows scouts and coaches that on any given day, Brown is capable of being a red zone threat, much like Bryant was for eight years. It is now up to Lal and company to bring that ability a bit more consistency.

The Cowboys already know what they have in Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley, and to an extent, practice squad receiver Lance Lenoir. A player like Brown, who was buried on the depth chart last season, will be part of the plan to see what they can offer.

The Cowboys are not committed to any receiver in particular as of right now, so Brown is a prime candidate to take advantage of it. Brown didn’t have many opportunities at Ohio State, but he did show flashes that he has all the talent in the world to bring the Cowboys what Dez Bryant once did.