Dallas Cowboys host South Dakota State tight end Tucker Kraft for top-30 visit

The Dallas Cowboys have hosted yet another tight end at the Star for a top-30 prospect visit. South Dakota State standout Tucker Kraft, ESPN’s seventh best-available tight end in this year’s draft class, was in Dallas recently for a visit, according to Todd Archer.

Based on their visits and meetings, as well as the departure of Dalton Schultz, it appears the Cowboys are interested in taking a tight end this year. To get a prospect like Darnell Washington or Dalton Kincaid, who have also met with the team’s personnel, Dallas may have to use an early-round pick.

Kraft is most likely a Day 3 selection, however. He’s 6-foot-4, 254 pounds and in 2021, he showed he could carry the load of a receiver if necessary. In 2022, he had 27 catches for 348 yards and three scores but in 2021, he had 65 catches, 773 yards and six touchdowns.

The South Dakota State Jackrabbits won the national title in 2022, leading to the retirement of their head coach John Stiegelmeier after 26 seasons. Kraft was a significant part of the offense and helped pave the way for the top SDSU running backs to notch 1,451 and 744 yards.

The NFL’s top-30 visits are reserved for 30 prospects per team and do not involve on-field workouts. They serve as job interviews, on top of medical checkups and meetings with the coaching staff.

Hosting the draftees for private workouts and top-30 visits gives them an opportunity to get more face time with the potential picks and get to know them beyond the tape and combine performances.

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft takes place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event location this year is the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft broadcast runs throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

Following two trades that cost them two fifth-round compensatory picks (No. 161, No. 169), these are the seven draft picks left on the Cowboys board for April.

• Round 1, No. 26
• Round 2, No. 58
• Round 3, No. 90
• Round 4, No. 128
• Round 5, No. 176*
• Round 6, No. 212*
• Round 7, No. 243

*denotes compensatory pick