Dalton Schultz — Was moving on the right move for Dallas?

Deep 2023 Draft class at tight end

According to most draft analysts, this is supposed to be one of the deepest tight end classes in a long time.

Where many classes see zero or one tight end selected in the first round (in the last 15 drafts, there have only been 10 tight ends selected in round one), a quick look at a few mock drafts and you can find three to four different names who all find themselves in the first 31 picks.

All of whom are considered worthy of that first-round selection depending on which analyst you look at.

Whether it is Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer, Utah’s Dalton Kincaid, Georgia’s Darnell Washington, or Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave, all four are top-30 players according to TheAthletic’s Dane Brugler‘s most recent top-100; signaling, if nothing else, that their selection at pick 26 wouldn’t be a reach.

Going beyond the first round, there are players like South Dakota State’s Tucker Kraft (#49 on Brugler’s top-100), Iowa’s Sam LaPorta (#61), and Michigan’s Luke Schoonmaker (#100) who could make for a quality pick on day two.

If Dallas had re-signed Schultz, selecting a tight end early would have likely been out of the picture, thus missing out on what is shaping up to be a great tight end class.

By allowing him to walk, they have the freedom and flexibility to take one early if that is the best player on their board, or if the board doesn’t fall the way they want, roll into 2023 with Ferg/Hen/TBD vet.

The point of emphasis is losing Schultz doesn’t create a glaring need at tight end where you have to draft one early, but now there is an opportunity to take advantage of a deep position.

For all that Schultz is, I do think his ceiling is rather limited and we’ve probably already seen the best version of him, or close to it. I don’t see him ever becoming a game-breaking tight end like Travis Kelce, George Kittle, or Mark Andrews.

Re-signing him would have maintained the status quo at the position, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but passing on opportunities at upgrading tight end due to his presence could be.