Deep Dive into Cowboys History of Drafting TE's

[rnr_honeybadger]

He and Kincaid both remind me a bit to Witten. Neither is an elite athlete but the run solid routes but they use their body to block out defenders like Witten did. If a guy like Washington could learn that he could be a monster with his size but it appears it’s not a lot of TE’s who do it well. The fast guys don’t have to but a 4.7 guy has to run smart rotes and use his body

The irony is that fast guys don't always stay fast and when the speed dwindles they go from weapon to liability because they never learned.

 

[CATCH17]

Well, 20 years ago you couldn't get through a draft without a Top 10 RB pick. Less than 10 years ago I remember people on this board saying pick #16 was too high for an OG. Tell any team in the league today that they can get Zach Martin with a Top 10 pick and he wouldn't last until #16.

The game is evolving. The TE is no longer viewed as a guy who has to be good at both blocking and receiving and will be doing equal parts of both. Teams are willing to sacrifice both skill and utilization at blocking if they can put their TE out there and the defense has nobody to line up against them. They're just monster WRs at this point.

I don't think the good teams look to what has historically been true to make organizational decisions. They anticipate what is next and try to get ahead of the curve. Of course, now we're probably at a point where you can't get ahead of the curve regarding the TE position because there are too many players that are outproducing 1st round WRs. Kelce, Kittle, Mark Andrews, Darren Waller (even limited by health), etc are all certainly worth 1st round picks based on productivity.

I know nothing about this proposed TE, but if Dallas is going to go TE my first thought would be to see if you can trade for Pitts. Atlanta says they aren't going to trade him, but they aren't going anywhere with him and if there's someone on the clock they highly covet, they might start getting wild. That would be my preference for a 1st round pick used on TE, but like I said, I don't anything about the current TE class.

Great post..

 

[Havic]

I'd rather trade down then draft him if he was available at 26

 

[Big_D]

Mayer is a decent TE but a poor mans version of Jason Witten.....he's not a dynamic down the field TE like a Kittle or a Kelse...

I’m not hellbent on drafting a TE. But it could come down to this scenario with both RBs off the board and Mayer BPA. If the comparison is Jason Witten I’m ok if that is indeed how things unfold. Every TE is compared to Kelce, every QB Mahomes. lol I’m sensing a pattern. Who is the next Kelce in this class. Which TE in the past few drafts even lived up to such lofty HOF goals.

 

[CATCH17]

Would you guys take TJ Hockenson with a first round pick?

 

[The Quest for Six]

I’m not hellbent on drafting a TE. But it could come down to this scenario with both RBs off the board and Mayer BPA. If the comparison is Jason Witten I’m ok if that is indeed how things unfold. Every TE is compared to Kelce, every QB Mahomes. lol I’m sensing a pattern. Who is the next Kelce in this class. Which TE in the past few drafts even lived up to such lofty HOF goals.

Selecting a running back in today's NFL in the first round is asinine when you can get 90% of what the best running back is in this draft in the third or fourth round in a deep draft,...the value at running back isn't what it once was..Mayer isn't a dynamic field stretcher for today's NFL offense.......I'm just saying I'd rather select a first or second rated position player at a position over a third or fourth position player at a different position because it's some "need", that's what gotten this team in trouble in the past...selecting a team "NEED" over a better rated position player that isn't a perceived "NEED"

 

[Big_D]

Selecting a running back in today's NFL in the first round is asinine when you can get 90% of what the best running back is in this draft in the third or fourth round in a deep draft,...the value at running back isn't what it once was..Mayer isn't a dynamic field stretcher for today's NFL offense.......I'm just saying I'd rather select a first or second rated position player at a position over a third or fourth position player at a different position because it's some "need", that's what gotten this team in trouble in the past...selecting a team "NEED" over a better rated position player that isn't a perceived "NEED"

What’s not a legit need here? QB probably safety, everything else is on the list. There’s a balance of need vs best available. And if the value isn’t there trade back. Whatever they draft is very much needed. Smith was a need last year, Parsons the year before that. They’re not just drafting randomly while disregarding where they stand with the roster. If they draft a guard in the first that’s not a possible need or reach? Same could be said at LB or DT or WR or corner. lol that list goes on. It’s best available vs value vs team needs. Everything has to factor in to that pick. And a 5th year option on that first rounder also. I’m just not ruling out the possibility that Mayer could be sitting there when the Cowboys are otc. What they do in that scenario will be interesting.

 

[The Quest for Six]

What’s not a legit need here? QB probably safety, everything else is on the list. There’s a balance of need vs best available. And if the value isn’t there trade back. Whatever they draft is very much needed. Smith was a need last year, Parsons the year before that. They’re not just drafting randomly while disregarding where they stand with the roster. If they draft a guard in the first that’s not a possible need or reach? Same could be said at LB or DT or WR or corner. lol that list goes on. It’s best available vs value vs team needs. Everything has to factor in to that pick. And a 5th year option on that first rounder also. I’m just not ruling out the possibility that Mayer could be sitting there when the Cowboys are otc. What they do in that scenario will be interesting.

Free agency is where you fill your needs, Dallas did that this year, the draft should be where you draft the Best Player Available regardless of position...selecting a G in the first round would be a reach NEED...I don't want Mayer, he's not going to be a dynamic offensive weapon..

 

[Big_D]

Free agency is where you fill your needs, Dallas did that this year, the draft should be where you draft the Best Player Available regardless of position...selecting a G in the first round would be a reach NEED...I don't want Mayer, he's not going to be a dynamic offensive weapon..

And they’ve done a good job but they are still needs. Mayer is probably one of the 18 with a first round grade so we’ll see what the team does if he’s on the board?

 

[DeaconMoss]

What’s not a legit need here? QB probably safety, everything else is on the list. There’s a balance of need vs best available. And if the value isn’t there trade back. Whatever they draft is very much needed. Smith was a need last year, Parsons the year before that. They’re not just drafting randomly while disregarding where they stand with the roster. If they draft a guard in the first that’s not a possible need or reach? Same could be said at LB or DT or WR or corner. lol that list goes on. It’s best available vs value vs team needs. Everything has to factor in to that pick. And a 5th year option on that first rounder also. I’m just not ruling out the possibility that Mayer could be sitting there when the Cowboys are otc. What they do in that scenario will be interesting.

Need Rank: DT, DE, CB, LB, RB, OL, QB

 

[Bagman]

If Mayer is on the board and both RBs are off it’s certainly a possibility in the 1st.

I don't get the fascination with Mayer. He's strong but completely average in just about everything else. Not elite enough nor a play making gamechanger to use a #1 pick on. You can find a similar player in rds 2-3-4

 

[DeaconMoss]

I don't get the fascination with Mayer. He's strong but completely average in just about everything else. Not elite enough nor a play making gamechanger to use a #1 pick on. You can find a similar player in rds 2-3-4

I'd argue Ferguson may be the guy and TE is not a need

 

[Bagman]

I'd argue Ferguson may be the guy and TE is not a need

And you wouldn't get an argument from me. LOL

 

[atlantacowboy]

It's so hard to justify spending a first round pick on a TE when most of the top TEs today in the NFL didn't come from the first round. There have been 22 TEs selected in the first round over the last 20 years. In looking at the list the only guys I can say were definitely worth it were Vernon Davis, Jeremy Shockey, and Greg Olsen. Tj Hockenson and Tyler Pitts were the other recent TEs. Perhaps they add to the list of being worth a 1st rounder, but the Lions already said he wasn't worth a 1st rounder as they turned around and traded him for a 2nd.

Much is made about RB value in the 1st round, but I would argue TE carries worse value.

I definitely don't want a TE with the Cowboys first pick. However, If there's a scenario where they trade down and end up with an extra day 1 pick in 2024, or an extra day 2 pick in 2023 and then select a TE with their first pick atleast they added extra value.

You think most of the top G's in the NFL were drafted in round 1 when we took Zach Martin?

The TE position is pretty weak in the NFL right now. Mark Andrews is an ALL-Pro. There are no Tony Gonzales or Gronks both of whom were first round picks.

Stephen Jones recently stated the Cowboys have 15 first round grades. So, Dallas doesn't consider that it has a first round pick unless one of those 15 fall to us.

 

[Kingofholland]

You think most of the top G's in the NFL were drafted in round 1 when we took Zach Martin?

The TE position is pretty weak in the NFL right now. Mark Andrews is an ALL-Pro. There are no Tony Gonzales or Gronks both of whom were first round picks.

Stephen Jones recently stated the Cowboys have 15 first round grades. So, Dallas doesn't consider that it has a first round pick unless one of those 15 fall to us.

Gronk wasn't a first round pick, Tony was though. I think every situation is unique and there's certain players you consider breaking a norm for. In Martin's case we all know teams value tackles more but it's not like picking a guard in the middle of round 1 was unheard of. In fact the year before Martin 2 guards were drafted in the top 10. I don't see TE as a huge team need right now, nor do I see a TE that may be there when the Cowboys pick that would be an instant game changer. If we did draft a TE in the 1st round no doubt I would support them, it's just not my preference.

 

[plasticman]

I wouldn't consider that a "deep dive'..

The Cowboys first SB championship team included a HOF TE, Mike Ditka. He was the #5 overall pick in the 1961 draft by the Chicago Bears. The backup TE that season, Billy Truax, was a 2nd round pick of the Houston Oilers in the 1964 draft.

In fact, the Cowboys very first Pro Bowler in history was TE Dick Bielski in 1961. He was a 1st round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1955.

Three time Pro Bowler Billy Joe Dupree was a 1st round pick and a starter for 9 seasons.

So the first three Cowboys TE's to earn one or more Pro Bowls were all former 1st round picks.

The starting TE's for the Cowboys first five Super Bowls were all 1st round draft picks.

That's the history of the TE position for a team during a time in which they were called a dynasty.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Gronk wasn't a first round pick, Tony was though. I think every situation is unique and there's certain players you consider breaking a norm for. In Martin's case we all know teams value tackles more but it's not like picking a guard in the middle of round 1 was unheard of. In fact the year before Martin 2 guards were drafted in the top 10. I don't see TE as a huge team need right now, nor do I see a TE that may be there when the Cowboys pick that would be an instant game changer. If we did draft a TE in the 1st round no doubt I would support them, it's just not my preference.

KIncaide is drawing Kelce comparisons. My take is that you want to upgrade a position in round 1. There are many spots the Cowboys can upgrade and TE is a big one. Dak is a slow processor and needs that big check down target who can find soft spots in the zones. All we have at TE right now are warm bodies. Id say there are 4 or 5 TEs in this draft who could start for us day 1.

 

[Smith22]

https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/deep-dive-into-cowboys-history-of-drafting-tes

Says MM's history from 2006 to 2018, he never spent higher than a 3rd round pick on a TE.
So does that change this year?

In a draft that is considered extremely deep at TE, I don't see the need of taking one in the first round unless that player is head and shoulders above the rest at that position.

That said, go with your board. If TE is the only player left to pick at 26 that we have rated as a top 17 player, trust your board, or accept a trade down.