Cowboys TE Draft Pick: The 1 Trait Dak Prescott Wants in New Target

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys have involved QB Dak Prescott in the film-watching process as we approach the NFL Draft. And as he told CowboysSI.com and a small group of reporters recently at the Children's Cancer Fund "Light It Up" Gala in Dallas, he's digging into the class of receivers.

But Prescott and the Cowboys also have their eyes at another pass-catching spot, with lots of our intel ending up predicting a tight end will be Dallas' selection at No. 26 overall.

Could it be Utah's Dalton Kincaid? What about Notre Dame's Michael Mayer? Or is the hot "new'' name of Oregon State's Luke Musgrave the "Our Kelce'' guy for Dallas?

The actual player is, naturally, dependent on traits - with Prescott revealing which characteristics he values most at the tight end position.

"I just think about intelligence," Prescott said. "Running back is a (quarterback's) best friend, but a tight end knows just as much as a quarterback, when it comes to the blocking, pass protection, his hots, his sights and just the zones in the middle ... It comes down to intelligence and communication. Some of that has to be worked on. But yeah, smart guy."

The Cowboys' perceived need at tight end stems from Dalton Schultz signing with the Houston Texans, which meant the loss of one of Prescott's most reliable targets.

Schultz caught 57 passes for 577 yards and five touchdowns this past season, ranking second on the team behind CeeDee Lamb in all three categories.

But now, with Schultz out of the picture, Dallas has its sights set elsewhere - though Prescott is taking lessons learned from both he and Cowboys great Jason Witten to help mold his evaluation process.

"You think of Witten, he's the greatest to do it," Prescott said. "And I think something that helped Dalton, he had that year under Witten and understanding the feel and understanding how to talk to a quarterback and get in the quarterback's head and make sure you're thinking the same thing."

The question that needs answering is who's next in line at tight end for Dallas - with a final determination set to come now as the draft kicks off in Kansas City.

But for Prescott, perhaps it's less about who the pick is and more about what they possess ... with "intelligence and communication" topping the quarterback's wish list.

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