DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys have the 10th overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft and there’s been a lot of debate raging inside Cowboys Nation about their options. Should the Cowboys stick with rebuilding their defense or, if a talented player on the offensive side of the ball falls into their lap, should the franchise select a game-changer to complete the offense?
While some would be happy to see an offensive tackle grabbed in the first round, the main focus for those who want to see more weapons for Dak Prescott is not on just any offensive player, it’s Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.
Pitts has been talked about as being the best TE prospect to enter the NFL in a long time. The Philadelphia native had an incredible season with the Gators in 2020 to put himself in a position to be drafted in the top half of the first round. During his junior season, Pitts had 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in just eight games, propelling him into elite prospect status before declaring for the NFL.
However, it was Pitts’ Pro Day that cemented his status as a top 10 pick and marked him as perhaps the best non-quarterback in the draft.
Should Dallas add a game-breaking tight end who could potentially give the team the overall best offense in the game? The conversation will continue right up until Pitts’ name is called at the draft later this month, especially since the Cowboys could use their first-round selection to help their woeful defense.
Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain might be on the board at No. 10 overall and he could potentially lock down one side of the field for the foreseeable future at a position of need.
The son of a former three-time Pro Bowl CB, Surtain had an outstanding career with the Crimson Tide and impressed at his Pro Day as well. Reuniting him with last year’s second-round corner Trevon Diggs would make for a great tandem in the secondary.
Dallas’ defense still needs help and Surtain would be an improvement, but drafting for need is always a dicey proposition. As good as Suratin is, most draftniks believe that Pitts is a better player.
The argument for Pitts is that you draft the best available player on your board and figure it out later. Pitts would immediately be the best TE on the Cowboys’ roster and would elevate the offense, making a strength even stronger.
There are a few roadblocks that are in the way of the Cowboys grabbing Pitts which could make the argument moot, however. If Pitts is so good, and everything suggests that he is, how can he be available at pick 10? It seems highly unlikely that Pitts would make it to the Cowboys when they’re on the clock to make their selection.
Simple math tells us that Pitts won’t be available. In the first nine picks, you can expect at least three quarterbacks will be taken, probably an offensive tackle will be gone, and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase will likely be off the board as well. That’s just five players with four picks to go before Dallas could send in their selection. It’s hard to imagine that nine teams in total would pass on one of the best prospects in the draft.
On the surface, it appears as though the Cowboys won’t be in position to grab Pitts. However, owner Jerry Jones wouldn’t shy away from maneuvering up in the draft to take the stud TE if he’s the guy.
If the Cowboys and Jones believe Pitts is a generational talent, the organization could pull the trigger on a trade. It might hurt their ability to use all of their picks in this draft and possibly the next, but if Jones is indeed infatuated with Pitts, you can see him getting aggressive to acquire him. Dallas also has ten picks in the 2021 draft – second only to Philadelphia’s 11 selections – which gives them the capital to make a move.
The draft is rapidly approaching and this is the time to put out misinformation. No one is sure if Jones would make a move in order to draft Pitts, but it wouldn’t be surprising if it happened.
The argument will surely continue at a manic pace as to whether Pitts or a defensive player should be the pick at 10, but what’s much less debatable is that Pitts likely won’t make it to the Cowboys’ selection if they don’t make a trade to take him.
If he’s the apple of Jones’ eye, then Dallas will have to navigate up in the draft for the right to select Kyle Pitts. Cowboys Nation should at least be able to agree on that subject.
Would you be happy to see the Cowboys trade up in the draft to take a tight end? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
