Dallas Cowboys select replacement for Dalton Schultz in Mel Kiper's latest mock draft

In ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, the Dallas Cowboys do something they haven’t done since 1997, which is draft a tight end in the first round.

With former fourth-round pick Dalton Schultz heading toward free agency, Kiper believes the Cowboys could take his replacement at No. 26 overall. He predicts Dallas taking not only another tight end but another Dalton – Utah star Dalton Kincaid.

“Let’s replace Dalton Schultz with another Dalton. Schultz, who played on the franchise tag in Dallas last season, could leave in free agency, in which case the Cowboys must find a replacement,” Kiper writes. “Kincaid, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound player with great hands, could step in and be a comparable pass-catcher from Day 1. He caught 106 passes and had 16 scores for the Utes over the past two seasons, and he makes tough catches look simple.

“He torched defenses down the middle of the field, and he has improved as a blocker. Dak Prescott would love Kincaid’s ability to find space. Kincaid might even be the first tight end off the board.”

Kincaid could be the guy to step in for Schultz. However, Dallas has several other tight ends on the roster already, including 2022 fourth-rounder Jake Ferguson. He had 19 catches on 22 targets in the regular season.

Cowboys skip over Texas RB for Kindcaid in latest mock draft

Kiper’s pick is intriguing for multiple reasons, including the rarity of the Cowboys drafting a tight end high. In Kiper’s latest scenario, Dallas passes over the player the draft analyst last predicted they would take – Texas’ Bijan Robinson. In the new mock draft, the Cowboys take Kincaid and the Buffalo Bills take Robinson at No. 27 overall.

As Kiper argued in January, taking Robinson would allow the team to start fresh at running back at a critical time. Ezekiel Elliott carries a huge cap hit for 2023 and Tony Pollard is nearing free agency after suffering a high-ankle sprain and fibula fracture.

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.