I know what you’re thinking: We’re talking about the 2026 NFL Draft already? I’ll admit it is early, but when a draft class carries a storyline like this one, it’s worth talking about 11 months in advance.
In 1991, the Dallas Cowboys selected Miami defensive tackle Russell Maryland with the first overall pick. Three Super Bowl rings and a Pro Bowl later, the big man in the interior became a staple of the 1990s Cowboys.
His son, RJ Maryland, is now a tight end for the SMU Mustangs, and he could quickly become a top prospect in the 2026 draft.
SMU’s RJ Maryland (Russell Maryland’s son) officially has my attention. He’s up to 7 catches for 128 yards right now and has just taken over late in this game. Very athletic 6-4 237 TE.pic.twitter.com/CFN3yz15Yu
— Mike Herndon (@MikeHerndonSk1) August 25, 2024
I’ll remind you that Dallas could quickly become a tight end-needy team, as Jake Ferugson is headed into a contract year, and the front office may see him as expendable with other major extensions on the way.
If Ferguson were to walk, the tight end room would be filled with a lot of guys who have barely contributed in the NFL. That would clearly make the position a priority in the next draft.
Maryland, 20, is an athletic specimen who showed huge flashes in 2024 for SMU; the only problem was, he tore his ACL in October amid a big performance against Stanford. 2025 will be his comeback season.
The Southlake, Texas, native started last year with an eight-reception, 162-yard performance against Nevada, and was first-team All-AAC in 2023.
If he can combine his athleticism and production with good health this fall, you’re going to see his name skyrocket in draft talks. His NFL pedigree certainly won’t hurt either, and it’s what could bring him to Dallas.
Jerry Jones loves players who carry connections to Texas or the Cowboys directly.
Cowboys assistant director of college scouting Chris Vaughn on the call he made to tell his son, Deuce Vaughn, that the Cowboys were drafting him pic.twitter.com/9breppzqqy
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 30, 2023
If Maryland can recover strongly and put up the big season he’s been inching towards, his name will enter Dallas’ minds before the other top tight ends because of his father. Whether you agree with that philosophy or not, you can’t argue that it wouldn’t happen.
Of course, it is very early to have these discussions, but just as the NFL season approaches, college ball does too.
RJ Maryland, considering his position and his family tree, should be a top name to watch for Cowboys fans. If we’re going to talk about Arch Manning pipe dreams a year (or two) away, it’s fair to talk about a much more realistic option.
In short, watch some SMU football in a few months. You might just be watching a top Cowboys prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft.
We won’t be filled with TEs that has barely contributed to the NFL if Jake Ferguson leaves, we’ll still have Luke Schoonmaker, and I’m sure he’ll be the new number 1 TE, he showed he can handle it when he took over for Ferguson when he got hurt!! And then Brevin Spann did pretty good too, and that’s just 2 of the TEs, and we have 3 or 4 more that can make the team if Ferguson leaves!! And your right about most of them, but Schoonmaker has a couple of years of experience, so he’s got enough experience to be trusted with the starting TE job, and Brevin showed enough to be good enough for the backup spot!! So I don’t see how TE could be a priority in the next draft!! We have too many TEs right now and through the next couple of years that there’s no way it would be a priority by the next draft!! If for some reason we do end up drafting him, it won’t be cause it’s a priority, it’s only cause of who he is and who his father is…. That would be the only reason we’d draft him!! If we don’t sign Pickens,, receiver will be a priority again, if our corners don’t work out, then corner will be a priority, and if Tyler Guyton don’t get it going this year then left tackle will be a priority, and that’s cause we don’t have anybody to fill those positions, but we have players to fill in at TE, even if it turns out to be one of the undrafted TEs we got this year, we’ll still have players to play TE and play the position good, but we don’t have players to fill the positions I just pointed out if something happens to the players we have at those positions, so there’s no way TE becomes a priority
a Dallas Cowboys fan, since the 70’s Jake Ferugson is going to walk after the 2025 season is over because Jerry Jones won’t have the money to pay Jake Ferugson and if Jerry Jones can draft Russell Maryland’s son that’s great but that’ only because Russell Maryland’s son will be on a rookie contract for four years and that’s cheaper and the Cowboys will need a tight end
Cowboys are already top heavy in TE’s. Now unless he is a Charley Young prospect the former Eagle great back in the 90’s then pursue Maryland. Outside that there are other needs on this team that require attention.