Can Cowboys’ Jake Ferguson 'Make Everyone Forget’ Dalton Schultz?

The Dallas Cowboys will be without Dalton Schultz for the first time in five seasons, but Jake Ferguson can show Shultz is replaceable.

The Dallas Cowboys selected Dalton Schultz in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and he developed into a fine TE1 in his five years with the franchise. But Schultz's departure to the Houston Texans ushers in a new era of Cowboys tight end. 

Cue Jake Ferguson, the second-year helper who could "make everyone forget about Dalton Schultz," says Mickey Spagnola of DallasCowboys.com. 

"The door [is] wide-open for the second-year tight end to become the team's opening-day starter," Spagnola wrote. “As a rookie ... he caught 19 passes, including two touchdowns, and as the season progressed proved to be one of the Cowboys' best blocking tight ends."

And all of his production came in barely half of the snaps Schultz got.

 While he will have to fight off rookie Luke Schoonmaker and Peyton Hendershot for playing time, Ferguson's ability to compete in the receiving and blocking game is huge.

"The tight end position is not all about catching passes. Run blocking effectively is vital, and if Ferguson can take the next step in that facet of playing the position, the Cowboys will have … an all-around starting tight end," Spagnola concluded.

Ferguson spent the offseason trying to compete for the starting role in Dallas, attending Tight End University to learn from Travis Kelce and Greg Olsen earlier this year. 

After playing in all 16 games and starting eight last season, signs point to Ferguson being a reliable option in 2023. Can he erase Schultz from the memory of Cowboys fans? That’s the Dallas plan.

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