Due to the current pandemic there’s no way of knowing what the 2020 NFL season may look like or if there will even be one. The same can be said about collegiate football as well, however, there will certainly be a 2021 NFL Draft regardless of what happens. It may need to be held virtually once again, but rest assured it’s going to take place one way or another.
With that in mind, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report put together a way-too-early 2021 first-round mock draft. He used Caesars Sportbook’s projected win totals to determine the draft slotting, which has the Dallas Cowboys slotted 28th overall. With that pick Sobleski had the Cowboys drafting Penn State Tight End Pat Freiermuth.
“Dallas may not want to overlook an opportunity to select the best all-around tight end prospect in the class. Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth is a rare collegiate tight end. He’s both a illegitimate in-line option and a potential mismatch in the passing game.”
“The 6’5″, 256-pound target, who caught 43 passes for 507 yards last season, continues to draw Rob Gronkowski comparisons.”
The Dallas Cowboys may have re-signed TE Blake Jarwin to a four-year, $22 million contract extension this offseason and still need a lot of help on the defensive side of the ball, but passing up on a player many are already referring to as “Baby Gronk” could be hard to do. His talent and all-around skill set would fit in perfectly in my opinion.
Depending on how Blake Jarwin performs in 2020 Freiermuth would likely be considered a luxury pick for the Dallas Cowboys. That’s likely true, however, Jarwin’s strength as a player is in the passing game and adding a TE capable of doing everything asked of him, much like Jason Witten, shouldn’t be overlooked. They can coexist.
Considering where the Dallas Cowboys were slotted to pick and the player selected, I think Brent Sobleski drafted the best player available for the Cowboys. Blake Jarwin could very well meet and exceed expectations, but he’s not the same kind of all-around player Pat Freiermuth is. With him aboard, Dallas’ TE depth would significantly be both improved and upgraded.
