ESPN reporter Chris Mortensen is close with Jerry Jones, so Mortensen’s report that the Cowboys owner is “infatuated” with Florida tight end Kyle Pitts is no doubt accurate. It doesn’t mean the Cowboys will draft Pitts.
First, it remains unlikely Pitts falls to 10th overall, so the Cowboys would have to move up to draft Pitts. (Of course, the Cowboys never thought receiver CeeDee Lamb would fall to them last year.)
Second, Jones was infatuated with quarterback Johnny Manziel in 2014 but was talked into drafting offensive guard Zack Martin. Manziel played only 14 games in two seasons and threw 258 passes before the Browns gave up on his career, while Martin is having a Hall-of-Fame career with six Pro Bowls and four All-Pro honors in seven seasons.
Third, the Cowboys need defensive help. Badly. They gave up the most points in franchise history in 2020, and their offense already doesn’t have enough balls to go around for Lamb, Michael Gallup, Amari Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard, Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz.
Having said all that, it won’t come as a surprise if the Cowboys draft Pitts. Jones does love playmakers, and Pitts is that.
Pitts went on the the Rich Eisen Show on Monday and said he has spoken to Jones after hearing about the owner’s infatuation with him.
“I actually, I’d rather not read the press clippings,” Pitts told Eisen. “Until the day comes, I won’t worry about that. Someone did call me and tell me about that. It’s kind of, it’s an honor for him to say that. Dallas is a great team. If I could have the opportunity to play for [the Cowboys], it would be a great thing.”
Sort of.
Pitts admits he grew up a fan of the Eagles.
“That’s kind of, I would say, the oxymoron, me growing up an Eagles fan and then having the opportunity to play for the Cowboys,” Pitts said. “So that would be a hard time getting some of my family jerseys because they’re die-hard Eagles fans. That would be something funny.”