ESPN media scout Matt Miller ranks top 10 Tight End draft prospects

[observer]

April 9 2023
https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/scout_ranks_top_10_tes_which_will_cowboys_draft/s1_16709_38679017

... The Cowboys have gotten to know
most of these guys as they search for,
as a source tells CowboysSI.com, "their
version of Travis Kelce.'' (keep in mind,
Travis Kelce is one of the greatest TEs
of all-time)
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KelcTr00.htm

For inexplicable reasons, Travis Kelce &
Jason Witten (one of the greatest Cow-
boys TEs of all time) were drafted almost
at the same spot, Travis drafted in the 3rd
round (63rd overall) & Jason drafted in the
3rd round (69th overall) 10 years earlier.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WittJa00.htm

One of those things that make you go
hmmm.

Are any of the following TEs capable of
playing as well as Travis or Jason?

1 Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer
6’ 4 1/2’’, 249 lbs, arms 31 5/8’’, hands 9 1/2’’
draft prospect grade 6.44
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/michael-mayer/32004d41-5933-0676-2b57-0928ab0ea95b

2 Utah TE Dalton Kincaid
6’ 4’’, 246 lbs, arms 32 5/8’’, hands 10 1/4’’
draft prospect grade 6.48
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/dalton-kincaid/32004b49-4e06-9130-e563-7edd228031c8

3 Georgia TE Darnell Washington
6’ 7’’, 264 lbs, arms 34 3/8’’, hands 11’’
draft prospect grade 6.38
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/darnell-washington/32005741-5318-5860-3ee1-1aca1e440e91

4 Oregon State TE Luke Musgrave
6’ 6’’, 253 lbs, arms 32 5/8’’, hands 10 3/8’’
draft prospect grade 6.49
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/luke-musgrave/32004d55-5309-7324-5085-b59d93f240ce

5 Iowa TE Sam LaPorta
6’ 3’’, 245 lbs, arms 32 1/8’’, hands 10 1/4’’
draft prospect grade 6.18
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/sam-laporta/32004c41-5064-0235-3970-b5e5514839fc

[I won't list stats for the next 5 players]

6 Strange
7 Spoonmaker
8 Kraft
9 D. Allen
10 Kuntz

~~~

For comparison, the NFL draft prospect
profile of 2022 draftee
TE Jake Ferguson 4th round (129th overall)
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jake-ferguson/32004645-5214-6119-2797-33878db83d5a

& TE Peyton Hendershot (2022 undrafted free agent)
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/peyton-hendershot/32004845-4e03-2321-1253-31d8ad3d25d1

--- --- ---

[observer]

Follow-up regarding 2003 & 2013 drafts
& possibility that Jason Ferguson will be
Cowboys #1 tight end in 2023:

On Monday, April 10, 2023 at 6:00:21 PM UTC-5, observer wrote:

.> April 9 2023
.> https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/scout_ranks_top_10_tes_which_will_cowboys_draft/s1_16709_38679017
.>
.> ... The Cowboys have gotten to know
.> most of these guys as they search for,
.> as a source tells CowboysSI.com, "their
.> version of Travis Kelce.'' (keep in mind,
.> Travis Kelce is one of the greatest TEs
.> of all-time)
.> https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KelcTr00.htm
.>
.> For inexplicable reasons, Travis Kelce &
.> Jason Witten (one of the greatest Cow-
.> boys TEs of all time) were drafted almost
.> at the same spot, Travis drafted in the 3rd
.> round (63rd overall) & Jason drafted in the
.> 3rd round (69th overall) 10 years earlier.
.> https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WittJa00.htm

Tight Ends drafted before Travis Kelce
in the 2013 draft:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_NFL_Draft

1-21 Tyler Eifert - 1 pro bowl, 8 year career
2-35 Zach Ertz - 3 pro bowls, 10 year career still going
2-47 Gavin Escobar - no pro bowl, 5 year career
2-55 Vance McDonald - no pro bowl, 8 year career
3-63 Travis Kelce - 8 pro bowls, 4 all-pros, 10 year career still going

~~~

Tight Ends drafted before Jason Witten
in the 2003 draft:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_NFL_Draft

1-24 Dallas Clark - 1 pro bowl, 1 all-pro, 11 year career
2-41 Bennie Joppru - no pro bowl, 2 year career
2-61 L.J. Smith - no pro bowl, 7 year career
3-69 Jason Witten - 11 pro bowls, 2 all-pros, 17 year career

Sidenote: Travis's & Jason's success as
the 5th TE & the 4th TE drafted in 2013 &
2003 begs the question, "why is it so hard
to pick the best tight end in the draft?"

The Cowboys guessed right in 2003 but
in 2013, instead of drafting Travis Kelce
they drafted Gavin Escobar instead of
Travis Kelce in 2013. Of course, Jason
Witten was still on the Cowboys in 2013,
so had Dallas drafted Travis, he wouldn't ...

... have contributed as much as he did
with the Chiefs starting in his 3rd year
as Jason had 5 more years of topnotch
production left with the Cowboys.

.>
.> One of those things that make you go
.> hmmm.
.>
.> Are any of the following TEs capable of
.> playing as well as Travis or Jason?
.>
.> 1 Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer
.> 6’ 4 1/2’’, 249 lbs, arms 31 5/8’’, hands 9 1/2’’
.> draft prospect grade 6.44
.> https://www.nfl.com/prospects/michael-mayer/32004d41-5933-0676-2b57-0928ab0ea95b
.>
.> 2 Utah TE Dalton Kincaid
.> 6’ 4’’, 246 lbs, arms 32 5/8’’, hands 10 1/4’’
.> draft prospect grade 6.48
.> https://www.nfl.com/prospects/dalton-kincaid/32004b49-4e06-9130-e563-7edd228031c8
.>
.> 3 Georgia TE Darnell Washington
.> 6’ 7’’, 264 lbs, arms 34 3/8’’, hands 11’’
.> draft prospect grade 6.38
.> https://www.nfl.com/prospects/darnell-washington/32005741-5318-5860-3ee1-1aca1e440e91
.>
.> 4 Oregon State TE Luke Musgrave
.> 6’ 6’’, 253 lbs, arms 32 5/8’’, hands 10 3/8’’
.> draft prospect grade 6.49
.> https://www.nfl.com/prospects/luke-musgrave/32004d55-5309-7324-5085-b59d93f240ce
.>
.> 5 Iowa TE Sam LaPorta
.> 6’ 3’’, 245 lbs, arms 32 1/8’’, hands 10 1/4’’
.> draft prospect grade 6.18
.> https://www.nfl.com/prospects/sam-laporta/32004c41-5064-0235-3970-b5e5514839fc
.>
.> [I won't list stats for the next 5 players]
.>
.> 6 Strange
.> 7 Spoonmaker
.> 8 Kraft
.> 9 D. Allen
.> 10 Kuntz
.>
.> ~~~
.>
.> For comparison, the NFL draft prospect
.> profile of 2022 draftee
.> TE Jake Ferguson 4th round (129th overall)
.> https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jake-ferguson/32004645-5214-6119-2797-33878db83d5a

Per the following article today,
https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2023/4/10/23676067/dallas-cowboys-tight-end-already-on-roster-nfl-draft-jake-ferguson

"Jake Ferguson has shown promising
potential, & has all the qualities neces-
sary to become a star in the league. He
should be next up as the Cowboys start-
ing tight end in his second season."

.>
.> & TE Peyton Hendershot (2022 undrafted free agent)
.> https://www.nfl.com/prospects/peyton-hendershot/32004845-4e03-2321-1253-31d8ad3d25d1
.>
.> *--- --- ---*