Although few people are aware of KaVontae Turpin, he is the Dallas Cowboys’ X factor for 2024. After signing with the Cowboys in 2022, the former USFL standout has gradually expanded his position in both special teams and offense.
With an average of 10.4, Turpin ranked seventh in the league in 2022 yards per punt return. With 29.2 yards per kickoff return last season, Turpin lead all returners with at least 10 returns in the NFL. That’s not all, though.
Turpin has made the most of his opportunities in the pass and run game and has developed into a useful gadget player for the offense.
Although these numbers might not seem like much, Turpin was effective in his usage in the previous season, and as he approaches the third year of his Cowboys career, he should feel at home in the NFL and in this Mike McCarthy offense.
Although Dallas believes they will suffer a significant setback in 2024, Turpin could inject some offensive vigor into an already outstanding offense.
Even though it’s difficult to offer a 153-pound guy significant playing time, Turpin is deserving of more than an 11–12% offensive snap share.
After OTAs, Jalen Tolbert seems to have cemented himself as the third wide receiver behind Brandin Cooks and CeeDee Lamb, indicating that Dallas already has their top three wide outs. As the fourth wide receiver, Turpin has more room to grow and should see more regular action in both the passing and running games.
Dallas will likely rely more on their passing game given that the Cowboys let Tony Pollard leave and replaced him with a platoon of replacement parts.
The Cowboys led the league in 2023 in personnel rate (10 players total—one RB, one TE, and four WRs) and four-wide passes (4.5%).
They were successful as well, producing 0.25 EPA in that formation, excellent for third place. In 2024, expect them to disperse it even further. Turpin can be a deep threat or weapon in the quick passing game on screens and quick slants because of his 4.31 second time.
He is by far the quickest player in the Cowboys offense. Despite his diminutive stature, he was a successful red zone target in 2018 as six of his eighteen targets fell inside the 20; three of those targets resulted in touchdowns.
With two seasons under his belt, Turpin ought to be lot more at ease and prepared for a rise in usage.
He doesn’t have to develop into an every-down player, but if he could play 40–50% of the offensive snaps, he would provide the Cowboys a real danger. His presence alone, coupled with his fast straight line speed, threatens defenses.
This is beneficial for the run game as well because he might offer a variation from the boring combination of an inexperienced Rico Dowdle and an older Ezekiel Elliott.
Turpin doesn’t need to become a starter in order to become a valuable contributor. It’s clear there’s a path for Turpin to go for 300-400 yards through the air and 200-300 on the ground.
Kind of like a Deebo Samuel Lite. This would be considered a successful season for Turpin in the Cowboys offense.
With the recent changes to the special team rules, touchbacks will give teams the ball at the 30-yard line, while kicking teams will no longer have a running start at the receiving team.
These changes make kickoffs much more strategic and increases the impact of special teams on a game.
Everyone will get a start at the same time, which makes it harder to catch guys like Turpin, who are among the quickest in the NFL.
Turpin also received Pro Bowl Honors in 2022 for his special teams prowess, so he’s already showcased his abilities as a threat in the return game even without these helpful rules changes
Even though Turpin has yet to take a kick or punt return for a touchdown in the regular season, he has showcased his explosiveness on special teams with many successful returns in both the NFL and USFL.
Turpin did have a phenomenal pre-season game against the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022, where he took back a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, and then took a punt return 86-yards for a touchdown.
While it didn’t count towards his regular season stats, it goes to show how Turpin can completely change a game without having to be on the field for too many snaps. Minimum effort, maximum satisfaction.
It’s rare nowadays to see a player who can provide juice on special teams as well as a legit spark on offense too.
Turpin may not have the size to become an every-down player, but he has the skills to be utilized much more on the offensive side of the ball.
With recent special teams changes, Turpin should be able to increase the number of kick returns he takes back in 2024, as he only returned 10 last season, and with Dallas’ likely intention to throw the ball even more in 2024, Turpin should see the field a lot more often on both special teams and offense.
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