Most of the noise surrounding the Dallas Cowboys and the NFL Draft has revolved around Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.
After all, running back is a major position of need for the Cowboys, and Jeanty looks like he could be a future star at the position. However, given the state of the Cowboys' roster composition at the moment, there are plenty of positions that could use an upgrade this spring.
One of those positions is tight end, where Jake Ferguson is entering the final year of his deal, and will be coming off of a largely disappointing season in which he caught 59 passes for 494 yards and did not score a touchdown.
And as it so happens, the top player at the position and one of the top overall prospects in the 2025 class could be available when the Cowboys are on the clock at No. 12 - Penn State star Tyler Warren.
So what makes Warren so special? And why is he a fit for the Cowboys? To put it simply, he is a bonafide playmaker, which is exactly what that Cowboys offense and quarterback Dak Prescott need to add to the lineup.
This season with the Nittany Lions, Warren was a superstar, winning the Mackey award as the nation's top tight end, while hauling in an astounding 104 catches for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns. Those numbers tied for second in the country in receptions and sixth in the nation in receiving yards overall, with Bowling Green's Harold Fannin Jr. as the only tight end ahead of him in either category.
Not only that, but Warren has displayed the ability to show up in the biggest moments, catching 17 passes for 224 yards in an overtime win over USC in the regular season, and racking up 23 catches for 255 yards and two scores from the Big Ten Championship Game through the end of the Nittany Lions College Football Playoff run.
As for his fit with Dallas, it is quite clear why landing Warren would be a major win.
Aside from the fact that the tight ends are generally a quarterback's best friend, we have also seen that to be the case for Cowboys QB Dak Prescott in particular. Since the 2021 season, a Cowboys tight end has finished no lower than second on the team in receptions.
But perhaps more importantly, the Dallas offense is in serious need of playmakers, with CeeDee Lamb, and to a lesser degree, Jalen Tolbert, standing as the only legitimate threats for Dak Prescott to get the ball to at this time. Not to mention, outside of Ferguson's disappointing season, got hardly any production or explosive play out of the tight end position.
Warren could go a long way in helping to fix all of that. We have seen cases of that across the NFL just this season as well, with Raiders rookie Brock Bowers catching a whopping 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns in his first season, and players like Sam LaPorta, Dalton Kincaid, and Tucker Kraft all having monster seasons in their sophomore NFL campaigns.
If Warren can replicate even half of that kind of success in his rookie year with Dallas, the offense will have taken a major step forward.
