National Football League

Jerry Jones has his eye on tight end Kyle Pitts – does he fit with the Cowboys?

Published Apr. 24, 2021 10:41 a.m. ET

If Jerry Jones does nothing else, he will always find a way to grab headlines.

The owner of America's Team, better known as the Dallas Cowboys, has never shied away from the spotlight, and as the 2021 NFL Draft approaches, he is once again making waves, this time for tossing out the idea of Florida Gators tight end Kyle Pitts being part of the Cowboys' offense.

Pitts is widely considered not only the top tight end prospect in the draft, but also one of the top players overall.

In eight games for the Gators last season, he recorded 43 catches for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns, proving to be one of the most explosive players in the country.

The Cowboys own the 10th pick in Thursday's draft, and that puts them in play to potentially select Pitts if he is available. If that were to happen, it would mark the second year in a row that Dallas drafted a pass-catcher with its first-round pick.

Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was the team's first-round selection in 2020 (17th overall). He went on to have a strong rookie season, catching 74 passes for 935 yards and seven touchdowns. Even better, those numbers were compiled with franchise quarterback Dak Prescott playing only five games before he suffered an ankle injury that caused him to miss the final 11 games of the season.

With a healthy Prescott returning to start at quarterback and a skill position group that includes 1,000-yard receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup in addition to a perennial Pro Bowl running back in Ezekiel Elliott, the sky could be the limit for Dallas' offense if Pitts is added to the equation.

Brandon Marshall detailed on "First Things First" how explosive this offense could be with Pitts.

"What do you do if you're a defensive coordinator? You can't play man coverage, you can't load the box, and when you do play in coverage, you have a running game," he said. "So this is just absolutely dangerous for anybody playing against the Dallas Cowboys if they go out there and put together the right scheme and spread the ball around."

But while Jones might have dreams of an embarrassment of riches on the offensive side of the ball, the Cowboys' biggest weakness is still on defense.

Last season, they ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in the three major defensive categories, allowing 368.4 total yards per game (23rd), 158.8 rushing yards per game (31st) and 29.6 points per game (28th).

As Damien Woody explained on ESPN's "Get Up," after a season with a historically bad defense, fortifying that side of the ball should be the Cowboys' focus in the draft — not strengthening an already potent offense.

"They had the second-worst defense in Cowboys history last year," he said. "What would be best for the Dallas Cowboys organization, they have to address the defensive side of the football."

LaVar Arrington, however, argued that the best way to strengthen the Cowboys' defense is by scoring points and putting pressure on opposing teams to keep up. He explained on "First Things First."

The Cowboys have been relatively quiet during the pre-draft process, but with Jones' latest comments about Pitts, it's possible that all eyes could be on Dallas come draft night.

It's safe to assume Jones wouldn't want it any other way.

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