Forget getting a cornerback, the Cowboys apparently want to get Dak Prescott another weapon with their first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. With less than three weeks to go before the start of the NFL Draft, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has reportedly grown increasingly fond of the idea of drafting former Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.
Owners of the 10th overall pick, the Cowboys would most likely have to trade up to land Pitts, the top-ranked tight end in the draft. And while teams typically don't trade up to get a tight end, the Cowboys shouldn't be ruled out from doing so.
"We're hearing this thing about Jerry Jones, the owner of the Cowboys and the GM, being infatuated with Kyle Pitts," Mortensen said earlier this week, via Clint Buckley of 247Sports. "So I figure he's gonna have to trade up to get Kyle Pitts. I think he'll offer Emmitt Smith and Larry Allen, maybe throw in Michael Irvin. He doesn't need Tony Romo but he has Dak Prescott, he spent $40 million a year on Dak Prescott so why not go get Kyle Pitts, or if he actually falls to 10 you couldn't rule him out."
While Pitts could fall to them, it doesn't seem likely. Two of our four CBS Sports NFL Draft experts have the Falcons taking Pitts with the No. 4 overall pick, which means that the Cowboys would have to work out a trade with either Atlanta or the three teams in front of them to secure themselves at chance at selecting Pitts. Obviously, the Falcons would only consider trading the pick if they do not plan on selecting Pitts. If that's the case, there is a possibility of Dallas and Atlanta swapping picks. But if the Falcons plan on taking Pitts, the Cowboys' odds at landing him are slim to none. The Jaguars, Jets, and 49ers -- owners of the first three picks -- do not appear to be interested in trading their picks.
There's a reason why Pitts is one of the most coveted players in the draft. During his final 21 games at Florida, the 6-foot-6, 246-pound pass-catcher caught 97 passes for 1,419 yards and 17 touchdowns. In eight games last fall, Pitts caught 43 passes for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also averaged 17.9 yards per catch, a nearly six-yard improvement from the previous season.
"Pitts is a long pass catcher that attacks the ball at its peak," said CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Josh Edwards. "As a blocker, he is no George Kittle but he is better than which he is given credit. The Florida product is unique because there are so few consistently good tight ends in the NFL, which could be viewed as a deterrent to taking him so high or as an opportunity to get one of those players. It is an exercise in position value."
Jones knows what a good tight end can do for an offense. One of the Cowboys' best free agent signings during Jones' 32 years with the franchise was tight end Jay Novacek, who signed with Dallas before the start of the 1990 season. During his six seasons with the Cowboys, Novacek earned five Pro Bowl selections while playing an integral role on three Super Bowl championship teams.
Less than a decade after Novacek's career ended, the Cowboys drafted Jason Witten, the franchise's all-time leader in just about every receiving category. An 11-time Pro Bowler, Witten enjoyed a successful partnership with former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. The duo helped the Cowboys win the franchise's first two playoff games since Dallas' win over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XXX.
Jones surely feels that Pitts could do similar things in Dallas. In Dallas, Pitts would be part of an offense that already includes Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott, and receivers Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup. If the Cowboys are able to get Pitts, rest assured that Jones and company would spend their next pick on a cornerback, a position that sorely needs an upgrade before the start of the 2021 season.
