Over a year ago, the Dallas Cowboys brought in several new faces to bolster their lineup upon heading to the 2020 season. Despite having many recruits, the team still concluded a disappointing campaign as they finished with a dismal 6-10 record. Raring to get back on top of the NFC East once more, Jerry Jones' squad needed to make immediate moves in the offseason, especially in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Dallas addressed its holes on defense as the team went on to use eight of its eleven total picks to draft rookie defensive players. The Cowboys also signed 13 undrafted free agents in a bid to increase the level of competition in training camp and get under-the-radar contributors for next season.
However, the team's defensive rotation isn't the only gap that they have to address as they also have a shallow tight end unit heading to the 2021 season. The Cowboys didn't select a tight end in the draft but they signed Michigan talent Nick Eubanks as an undrafted free agent who can potentially make the team's roster if he manages to perform in training camp.
He previously wrapped up a four-year stint with the Wolverines from 2017 to 2020. Eubanks showed flashes of his potential back in 2019 but his success never materialized under head coach Jim Harbaugh. His senior season didn't turn out great too as he only recorded 117 receiving yards on 10 touches along with a touchdown through five games played.
During his time in Ann Arbor, he didn't get to maximize his potential as a deep threat as he had many drops and often found himself having a miscommunication with the team's quarterbacks. Despite his flaws, Eubanks still projects himself as an intriguing prospect who can contest linebackers in one-on-one coverages.
His speed is also a huge advantage for him as he recorded a 4.59 40-yard dash in Michigan's Pro Day. At the same time, the level of athleticism that he showed was probably the main reason why the Cowboys gave him a second look and opted to sign him as an undrafted free agent. If he manages to make the team's opening day roster, he will be joining a couple of young tight ends in Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz in the rotation.
Jarwin previously signed a four-year contract extension with the Cowboys prior to the 2020 season. However, he sustained a season-ending torn ACL injury in their Week 1 encounter against the Los Angeles Rams. As soon as he went down, Schultz was promoted to serve as the team's TE1 for the remainder of their campaign.
The Stanford product didn't disappoint as he notched a total of 615 receiving yards on 63 receptions to go with four touchdowns in 16 appearances. Despite Schultz's impressive performance in 2020, it remains to be seen if he can carry over his level of production heading to 2021, given Jarwin's expected return.
Aside from the two, Eubanks will also be competing against his former teammate in Sean McKeon and Jeremy Sprinkle in hopes of landing a roster spot. As of the moment, Nick Eubanks continues to be a project in the pros as he still needs to polish some areas of his game such as blocking and route-running before he gets to see significant action on the field.
The Cowboys are hoping that he can reach his maximum potential in order to increase their depth in the position group and get contributions from him as their potential diamond in the rough moving forward.
Follow Us
Subscribe