Cowboys Draft TE Dalton Schultz Replacement? A Wasted Pick at No. 26
The Dallas Cowboys find themselves in a relatively unfamiliar circumstance ... depending on your perspective.
Ever since the Cowboys selected future Hall of Famer Jason Witten in the third round in the 2003 draft, the tight end position has generally been free of stress for Dallas.
Witten carved up defenses whether it was with Tony Romo or Dak Prescott at the helm before eventually mentoring second-year tight end Dalton Schultz in 2019, who Dallas drafted in 2018 after Witten's first retirement. He quickly became a favorite option of Prescott's as well.
But expecting Schultz to have the same unprecedented longevity that Witten had would be overly optimistic thinking, something that was proven to be true after Schultz and the Cowboys didn't meet recently to discuss a new contract, which could all but signal that the team does not intend to ink him to a new deal after he was placed on the franchise tag last offseason.
Mock draft's have already begun plotting for Schultz's replacement, with one from Bleacher Report predicting the Cowboys will select Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer at No. 26. And we write here about this "top-five tight end'' rumor that's going around The Star.
But as talented as Mayer is (and this class of tight ends is loaded), we say Dallas drafting him in the first round would be foolish considering the tight end talent still on the roster.
Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot caught Cowboys fans by surprise this past season, making timely plays on offense with or without Schultz being healthy. The pair combined for 30 catches, 277 receiving yards and five total touchdowns. And while the stats were impressive for a pair of rookie backups, the toughness shown by both was proof they were playing beyond their years.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones clearly took notice. He said that, while Schultz's potential contract talks were "important," there was a "but ..." included as well.
"Tight end, and of course Dalton, is very important," Jones said. "But it's important to remind everyone that we have other players involved here. I think we're fortunate to have the young players that we had last year really step up."
The Cowboys have already seen the kind of production they can get from Ferguson and Henderson, with the former the likeliest candidate to get starter reps if Schultz is officially gone.
And while it will be impossible to instantly replicate the chemistry Schultz and Prescott had, it'll be better to let that take its time with Ferguson and Hendershot rather than go out and spend on a new tight end.
As with every team, the Cowboys clearly have some important decisions on their hands.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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