Joel Klatt gives Dallas Cowboys Dalton Kincaid in mock draft

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt did his first Mock Draft ahead of the NFL Draft later this month on the The Joel Klatt Show. When it came time for him to pick for the Dallas Cowboys at No. 26, he decided to pick Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid.

“The Cowboys, they have to get somebody to help Dak Prescott out,” Klatt said. “I’ve thought about running back here. I thought maybe is it Jahmyr Gibbs. But then I’m looking at it and I’m like, You know what, there’s some really good tight ends in here. Jerry has had good luck with tight ends.

“They’re at their best generally speaking when they’ve got a good tight end. Dalton Kincaid, the tight end from Utah, I think he makes some sense. They kind of need their next Jason Witten, if you will, to control and solidify the middle of the field. So I go Dalton Kincaid right there.”

The Cowboys lost starting tight end Dalton Schultz to the Houston Texans this offseason. The other tight ends currently on the roster are Ian Bunting, Jake Ferguson, Seth Green, Peyton Hendershot and Sean McKeon.

Ferguson was second on the team among tight ends last season in receptions with 19 and 174 receiving yards. Hendershot had 11 receptions.

Kincaid was an All-Pac 12 first team player this past season as he caught 70 passes for 890 yards and eight touchdowns for the Rose Bowl participant Utes.

He originally played his college football at San Diego after spending just one year in high school playing football. Kincaid transferred to Utah ahead of the 2020 season.

NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein believes that Kincaid compares to Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz.

“Move tight end whose premium talent as a pass-catcher will be the primary focus for evaluators,” Zierlein’s report on Kincaid reads. “Kincaid is a fluid route runner with the athleticism and play speed to create mismatches against lesser coverage. Impeccable ball skills and sticky hands allow him to tilt 50/50 contested throws in his favor.

“He lacks the play strength and technique to work in-line, but can handle some positional blocking in space from time to time. Kincaid can manage a more extended route tree, allowing calculating play-callers to open up the entire field and stress coverages. He will need to acclimate to a more physical/athletic brand of coverage, but should blossom into a weapon.”