Could these 3 Dallas Cowboys subs be stars elsewhere?

Dalton Schultz, TE

A potential roster bubble candidate going into last summer, tight end Dalton Schultz proved his worth last year after being forced into starting duty. That suddenly happened in Week One when starting tight end Blake Jarwin suffered a season-ending knee injury (ACL).

Schultz posted a surprising performance in his third NFL season. He recorded 63 receptions for 615 yards and four touchdowns in 2020. 33 of those catches resulted in first downs.

The soon-to-be 25-year old Schultz was drafted in the fourth round back in 2018, right after Cowboys’ future Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten announced his first of two retirements. And he showed promise after his rookie season where he posted 12 catches for 116 yards in seven starts.

But Witten’s return the following year negatively impacted Schultz’s development, resulting in his opportunities dropping drastically as a sophomore. The young tight end played just 10% of the offensive snaps and recorded only a single reception for six yards in 2019.

With Blake Jarwin returning from his knee injury this offseason, Dalton Schultz is believed to be once again taking a reserve role behind him on the depth chart. But entering a contract year, Schultz showed enough potential last year to likely warrant more playing time than most second tight ends this year and possibly a chance to become a starter elsewhere as a free agent next offseason.