Dalton Kincaid draft profile: Utah playmaker would elevate Cowboys offense

The Dallas Cowboys need someone to replace Dalton Schultz. Luckily for them, Dalton Kincaid is the best playmaker at the tight end position in this year’s draft and has a high chance of being available when Dallas picks in the first round at No. 26 overall.

Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot looked the part as rookies, the former more so than the latter, but Kincaid has the potential to step in and be an immediate star. He has great hands, crisp route-running, good athleticism (RAS above 8.0) and the ability to make defenders miss after the catch.

The former Utah standout is a unique talent at the tight end position that has the potential to be a Pro Bowler early on in his career as he makes highlight reel catches often and always find gaps in the defense.

Could Kincaid be the perfect fit in the Cowboys’ system?

Cowboys 2023 Draft: Dalton Kincaid’s Strengths

Dalton Kincaid is a top three tight end in this draft and his unique skillset would make Dallas’ offense even more lethal than it already is. Here are two of his top strengths observed from a breakdown of his film.

1. Pass catching and route running

Kincaid’s biggest strengths — pass catching and route running — work hand-and-hand and each are the main reasons why he’s an elite tight end. He runs excellent routes, has sticky hands, and is an overall monster in the passing game.

Kincaid has no limitations to his game when it comes to pass catching. He has the ability to run any route in the route tree and can run routes from any spot on the field and catches everything that is thrown his way, as evidenced by his nine contested catches last season, which ranked seventh among TEs. He’s the type of player that could have a 700-yard season right away.

The former Ute has the ability to catch jump balls when needed and his concentration is unfazed after getting hit. Kincaid has a knack for catching the football and makes it look easy. He ranked third in deep catches and sixth in deep yards in 2022, per PFF.

Kincaid’s quickness and footwork allow him to separate from coverage and get open at any spot on the field. He often leaves the defender wondering how he got so open as he’s often not within 10 yards of a defensive player when he catches the ball.

2. Yards after the catch

Kincaid’s ability to make things happen after the catch is one of his best skills. He has the speed to get more yards after the catch than most tight ends and has the agility to make people miss. He likes using hurdles and jukes in the open field and they often work and he gains an extra 5-10 yards. Kincaid also isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder and truck defenders to gain extra yards.

In 2022 alone, he forced 16 (!) missed tackles.

Utah also often put him in motion to keep the defense on their toes. When in motion he would typically get a favorable matchup and pick up the first down as the defense wasn’t prepared for it. He will require defensive coaches to game plan around him as he gets vertical often and is too quick for linebackers to stay with him in coverage.

Final Thoughts

Dalton Kincaid and Michael Mayer are two of the top tight end prospects in this draft and both would be stars in Dallas if selected.

Kincaid’s main difference from Mayer is that he isn’t as good of a blocker. He struggled run blocking and didn’t possess the same drive and passion for blocking that Mayer did. But he was also better than Mayer at many other things such as route running, pass catching, and getting upfield after the catch.

Kincaid is as electric of a tight end as you can find and if Dallas selects him they will have a player that has the potential to be the team’s best tight end since Jason Witten.

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