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Dallas Cowboys Draft: 5 Tight Ends for 5 Rounds

By Adithya Prabakaran

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 25: Cole Kmet #TE08 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish speaks to the media at the Indiana Convention Center on February 25, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) *** Local Capture *** Cole Kmet
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 25: Cole Kmet #TE08 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish speaks to the media at the Indiana Convention Center on February 25, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) *** Local Capture *** Cole Kmet /
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Colby Parkinson (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Colby Parkinson (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Colby Parkinson, Stanford

Round Grade:  Late 4th/ Early 5th

Value: Correct

It would be quite the coincidence for Parkinson to play with former college teammate Dalton Schultz because even though both players attended the same university, their playstyles are drastically different. Schultz was a run blocker underutilized in the passing game; Parkinson is a big slot/H-back who is probably better off not blocking inline.

I can imagine it will be hard to talk you into a tight end with suspect inline blocking ability but allow me the opportunity to do so.

Parkinson is a long guy. He stands at 6-foot-7 and 252 pounds with 33 1/4 inch arms. A good coaching staff could do a lot with that profile. Given his fairly lean nature,  he can add muscle to his frame. As a run blocker, it would give him the necessary anchor to block against bigger bodies and the byproduct of all the strength and conditioning work could make him a more ferocious blocker.

While Parkinson’s blocking is a work in progress, there is a lot to like regarding his pass-catching game. He is very nuanced with how he releases from the line and how he gets separation. It is pretty unique for a tight end of his stature and speed to move as well as he does, especially against smaller and quicker athletes.

His production speaks for itself as he logged over 1000 yards and eight touchdowns the past two seasons with some inconsistent quarterback play. Parkinson is every bit of the words “red-zone threat” but has the game to be more than that. (He averaged 16 yards per catch in his sophomore campaign)

Parkinson would be a fun player for the Cowboys and in the fourth round, he could come at a great value. He would develop behind Jarwin and Schultz with the possibility of earning a larger role in the passing game as a big slot. (The Cowboys don’t seem intent on such an idea but with Randall Cobb departing for Houston you never really know…)

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