Dallas Cowboys (almost) final 7-round mock draft: Wheeling and dealing

Round Three – Jeremy Ruckert – Tight End – Ohio State

I was targeting Sam Williams here because I know the Cowboys really like him, but he was never available at this point in the draft. Instead I went with BPA and it was usually between Cade Otton and Jeremy Ruckert, with Ruckert just edging out Otton. Ruckert allows the Cowboys to run more twelve personnel, which they want to do, and fills a fairly big hole at the position versatility.

The one thing the Dallas Cowboys need at the position is an ability to block, but Ruckert not only does that, but is also a threat in the passing game and has shown the ability to be in-line, split out, and in the backfield. Many will point to usage in college, but Ohio State does not focus on tight ends as much as some teams, but he has the tools to be a weapon.

Ruckert needs to work on his routes a little and while he did get better in 2021, he still has some work to expand his tree. While he isn’t the fastest nor most dynamic tight end, he is more of a traditional style tight end with some get-up in his game. Instantly Ruckert would be TE2 and a viable weapon, but his blocking will help him stick early on.