The Cowboys selected Wisconsin TE Jake Ferguson with the 129th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Ferguson was a factor in the Badger offense all four seasons, catching 145 passes for 1,168 yards and 13 touchdowns in his college career. Last season, he caught 46 passes for 450 yards and three touchdowns, earning First-team All-Big Ten honors.
Furthermore, Ferguson was the leading receiver during Reese’s Senior Bowl. He finished with three receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown in the annual contest.
The off-season has just begun for Dallas, and for now, Ferguson will backup Dalton Schultz in his rookie campaign and compete with Jeremy Sprinkle and Sean McKeon for the TE2 spot.
This past weekend, FanSided NFL Insider Matt Lombardo said Ferguson was a standout during the camp.
“Those around the team said he has a chance to be special,” said Lombardo. The former Badger standout “turned heads with his physicality, and “really solid body control in the passing game.”
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Ferguson can also bring value as a blocker, which Dallas needs from one of their tight ends. The biggest plays come from the Cowboys when they show run and let Dak Prescott run play-action.
As we all know, Schultz is the clear-cut starter at the position for this season. Nonetheless, to draft a player who was First-team in the fourth round is fine by me.
The Cowboys have had success drafting players from Wisconsin recently. Tyler Biadasz was taken in the fourth round in 2020, while Travis Frederick was drafted in the first round in 2013 and made the Pro Bowl five times before retiring on March 23, 2020.
Schultz will play under the franchise tag this season. If the Cowboys can find success with Ferguson during his rookie year, I think they should try and find a way to keep them both on the team if the price is right.
