It is a safe bet that the Dallas Cowboys draft a tight end in the first few rounds of the 2022 NFL draft. They have been linked to several of the top tight end prospects and they are extremely thin at the position. Blake Jarwin was released in the offseason while Dalton Schultz was given the franchise tag. There hasn’t been any indication that the Cowboys are working on a long term deal with Schultz and some believe he was retained amid the Amari Cooper trade only to avoid having Dak Prescott lose his number one receiver and his most trusted option in the passing game all at once. Beyond Schultz, the Cowboys have limited experience at tight end with Sean McKeon and Jeremy Sprinkle filling out the depth chart. With or without Schultz, tight end is certainly a position of need for the Cowboys. Here are a few tight end prospects that the Dallas Cowboys could draft to groom as an eventual replacement for Schultz.
JEREMY RUCKERT, OHIO ST.
Jeremy Ruckert is a gifted athlete with exceptional hands and impressive size. Ruckert is a willing blocker but needs to develop further in that area. He wasn’t an especially productive player in college but he projects to eventually become a viable starting tight end in the NFL. The Cowboys will have an opportunity to draft Ruckert on day 2 or early on day 3.
CADE OTTON, WASHINGTON
In the same range as Ruckert, the Cowboys could choose to select Cade Otton instead. Otton is not as athletic as Ruckert is but he has great hands and is a very good route runner. Like most rookie tight ends, he needs work as a blocker but he has the potential to develop into a reliable starter who can become a security blanket for Dak Prescott.
JELANI WOODS, VIRGINIA
Jelani Woods is a name that has picked up some serious steam leading up to the draft after an impressive combine performance. He has also become a very a popular name in several Dallas Cowboys mock drafts. Woods is an absolute monster at 6 feet 7 inches tall with long arms and incredible speed for his size. He is not the most polished route runner but he can use his length and reach to make contested catches and he is difficult to bring down in the open field. Woods is an above average blocker and offers tremendous upside as pro-bowl caliber tight end with further development.
ISAIAH LIKELY, COASTAL CAROLINA
Isaiah Likely is an explosive athlete and a playmaker as a receiving tight end. His size and strength limitations make it difficult for him to be an effective blocker which prevents him from being considered one of the elite prospects in this draft. If the Cowboys draft Isaiah Likely, they would be adding a dynamic option in the passing game.
GRANT CALCATERRA, SMU
Similar to Isaiah Likely, Calcaterra is more of a pure receiving threat and very limited as a blocker. He is a very good athlete and can track the ball really well in the air. He is not as dynamic after the catch as Likely is and he has an extensive history of concussions in college. As a result of his history of head injuries, Calcaterra will likely be available far later in the draft than the previous names mentioned.
JALEN WYDERMYER, TEXAS A&M
Jalen Wydermyer had a very productive college career at Texas A&M and was once widely considered one of the better TE’s in this draft class. He is a capable receiver and savvy route runner but he needs to work on his blocking. Wydermyer’s draft stock has dropped significantly after some extremely poor athletic testing results at his Pro-day. He wasn’t expected to test spectacularly but his results were so poor that there is concern that he will be able to survive at the next level. If the Cowboys do draft Wydermyer, he will have the opportunity to prove his critics wrong.
*Photo by Joe Glorioso https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode
