Dallas Cowboys: 7-Round Mock Draft, post-Amari Cooper trade
By Randy Gurzi
Round 2: Irv Smith Jr., Tight End, Alabama
A second round pick on a tight end? Yes, I know such a selection is going to send a roar of exasperation across Cowboys Nation, but this isn’t like the times they’ve taken a player at this position in the second. Now, they really need one.
And if we are being honest, Dallas really hasn’t been bad at drafting tight ends in this spot. In 2006, they went with Anthony Fasano out of Notre Dame. He was a respected player who put together a very long career.
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In 2008, they went with Martellus Bennett out of Texas A&M, and he also had a long career as a productive tight end. They just both never found a home in Dallas because Jason Witten had such a long career. Now, this isn’t to say they’ve been perfect, because the 2013 selection of Gavin Escobar was one to forget.
Irv Smith, Jr. from Alabama looks more like a Fasano-Bennett kind of selection here — except Smith will actually play. Dallas currently has Geoff Swaim, Blake Jarwin, Rico Gathers, and Dalton Schultz on the roster. None are complete players, but Smith can be.
The son of a former NFL tight end, Smith has improved dramatically as a receiver and plays for a team in Alabama that loves to run the ball — which means Dallas asking him to block should be a non-issue. Smith will be an upgrade and their current stable can fight for backup spots, which is where they’re all better suited for.