Dallas Cowboys should avoid Kyle Pitts in the 2021 NFL Draft

Former Florida tight end Kyle Pitts is seen by most as the clear top player at his position in the 2021 NFL Draft class. As the best player at his position, there’s a high probability Kyle Pitts will be drafted in the first round. One team Kyle Pitts has frequently been linked to is the Dallas Cowboys.

It’s no secret that the Cowboys have had a need at tight end since former player Jason Witten exited his prime. If the Dallas Cowboys want to find their long-term solution at the tight end position in the 2021 NFL Draft, Kyle Pitts would be an excellent choice. However, the Cowboys shouldn’t make drafting Kyle Pitts a priority. In fact, there are several reasons why they should avoid drafting him altogether.

1. Defense must be the priority for the Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys hold the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. They have the opportunity to draft a top 10 player in this draft. Depending on who you ask or what mock draft you look at, all signs are pointing to the majority of the first nine draft picks being offensive players.

That’s a perfect situation for the Dallas Cowboys because the defense is not only a priority for them in this draft, it’s a must. The Cowboys’ defense was horrendous last season, ranking 28th in points allowed, 23rd in total yards allowed and 31st in rushing yards allowed.

In the five games Dak Prescott played last season, the Dallas Cowboys averaged 32.6 points per game. Had they kept that pace throughout the entire season, they would have had the number one scoring offense in the league. Most of the time when you average 32.6 points per game, you win games. However, the Dallas Cowboys were 2-3 exiting the game when Prescott suffered a season-ending injury. That’s because their defense gave up an average of 36.0 points per game over those same five games.

The numbers clearly show that this team can score points offensively, but they also clearly show that this team can give up a ton of points on defense. A team can score 32+ points a game all they want, but if the other team is scoring 36+ points, it won’t matter.

With a Dak Prescott-led offense that features Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and more, we know they can put up points. Would Kyle Pitts make this offense even better? Yes. There are always ways to make an offense even better, but there’s no point in making the offense better if the defense doesn’t get better too.

With so many offensive players likely to be drafted in the first nine picks, the Dallas Cowboys should have their choice of players such as cornerback Caleb Farley, cornerback Patrick Surtain II, safety Trevon Moehrig, defensive end Jaelen Phillips and more. Whatever position they choose with the 10th overall pick, the player they draft must be a defensive player who can make an instant impact on one of the league’s worst defensive units from a season ago.

2. Is tight end really a need?

It has been quite a few years since the Dallas Cowboys have had a top-tier tight end. Is it really a need though?

Entering last season, Blake Jarwin and Dalton Shultz were the top two tight ends on the roster for the Dallas Cowboys. Jarwin was expected by many to have a breakout season after sitting behind Jason Witten for a couple of years. Unfortunately, Jarwin went down with a season-ending injury in the first game of the year.

After the injury to Jarwin, the bulk of the TE duties went to Dalton Shultz. In his role, Shultz was solid for the Cowboys, producing 63 receptions for 615 yards and four touchdowns. That’s not bad, considering he was the fourth option behind Cooper, Lamb and Gallup. Shultz wasn’t much of a home run hitter, averaging 9.8 yards per reception, but he did what the Cowboys needed.

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Among all tight ends in the NFL, Shultz ranked 24th in yards per reception. 24th isn’t elite, but it’s starter quality. When Blake Jarwin was the backup tight end, he averaged 11.6 yards per reception. If we compare that number to all the tight ends last season, Jarwin’s yards per reception number would have ranked 11th in the NFL at the position.

Jarwin is more of a big-play receiver, while Shultz is more of a short-yardage option. Neither of them are among the top tight ends in the NFL, but the two of them make a great combination.

Could the Dallas Cowboys get better at the TE position? Sure. Would Kyle Pitts bring more explosiveness to the position? No doubt. Could you consider TE a need? Maybe. However, if it is a need, it’s not a big enough need to consider drafting a player at the position in the top 10 of the NFL Draft. It just simply can’t happen with all the defensive needs the Dallas Cowboys have.

3. The Dallas Cowboys don’t have the luxury of making a luxury pick

When Dallas went on the clock during the 2020 NFL Draft, they made a luxury pick by selecting CeeDee Lamb. With Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup already there, it wasn’t expected that the Cowboys would go with a receiver in the first round. Lamb was simply just the best player on the board at the time, so they pulled the trigger.

In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys don’t, or at least shouldn’t, have the luxury of picking the best available player on the board like they did a season ago. This year’s first-round pick must be a defensive player. The needs of this team on defense can’t be outweighed by anything else, even a player as talented as Kyle Pitts.

Next. Mid-round receivers Cowboys should consider. dark

When it comes down to it, the Dallas Cowboys must address their defense in the 2021 NFL Draft. There is no offensive player who should stand in the way of the defense being addressed in the first round. The Dallas Cowboys must focus on defense, defense and more defense.

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