Dallas Cowboys Predicted to Add Towering 6-Foot-5 Playmaker

The Dallas Cowboys already have a dependable tight end in Jake Ferguson. A new mock draft, though, argues they should still chase a bigger, more explosive option next spring. Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski has the Cowboys selecting Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson at No. 17 overall in his latest 2027 NFL Draft projection. That pick is one of the first-round selections Dallas received from Green Bay in the Micah Parsons trade. Johnson stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 257 pounds. Evaluators describe him as a classic NFL prototype who can line up inline, in the slot or flexed out wide. 'The idea of adding an athlete of Jamari Johnson's caliber to an already potent Dallas Cowboys offense is downright frightening,' Sobleski wrote. 'Jake Ferguson is a steady and reliable target for quarterback Dak Prescott , but he doesn't stress opposing defenses. Johnson can make life easier on all of Dallas' skill position talent. Jamari Johnson is an instant mismatch tight end, because he brings the body type and athleticism required to be a three-down threat. His ball skills and route-running nuance should lead to a breakout season for the Oregon Ducks, where he'll have a chance to outshine former teammate Kenyon Sadiq.' Johnson spent two seasons at Louisville before transferring to Oregon ahead of the 2025 campaign. Playing behind Sadiq last year, he still posted 32 receptions for 510 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 15.9 yards per catch. Sadiq went 16th overall to the New York Jets in the 2026 draft after a 51-catch, 560-yard, eight-touchdown junior season. Johnson is now the featured tight end in Eugene and opened the 2026 season with four catches for 57 yards and a score against Boise State. Pro Football Network analyst Jacob Infante has already tagged Johnson as the top tight end in the 2027 class. 'Jamari Johnson is far and away my TE1 at this stage of the 2027 draft process,' Infante wrote. 'Great athlete, impressive body control, elite receiving upside.' Ferguson remains under contract through 2029 after signing a four-year, $52 million extension in July 2025. The former Wisconsin standout has made two Pro Bowls and recorded 231 career receptions for 2,029 yards and 15 touchdowns through four NFL seasons. His 2025 season included 82 catches for 600 yards and eight touchdowns. Production has never been the main knock. Ball security has. Ferguson has fumbled seven times over the past two seasons after going two years without one. 'He's really solid all around, high catch volume, tough, competes in the run game,' an anonymous NFL executive told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. 'His problem is fumbling. We targeted trying to get the ball loose when we played him.' Cowboys blogger Brandon Loree was more blunt late in 2025. 'Jake Ferguson is officially a liability when it comes to fumbling,' Loree wrote. ' Doing it way too often.' Johnson's size and after-the-catch ability would give Dak Prescott another mismatch piece alongside CeeDee Lamb. At 15.9 yards per reception last season, Johnson produced more yards per catch than several recent first-round tight ends did in their biggest college years. Dallas has not used a first-round pick on a tight end in years and rarely leans on 12 personnel. Ferguson's contract and role make an early selection at the position a surprise on paper. Still, mock drafts this early are meant to spark debate. Johnson has another full college season to raise his stock, and the Cowboys have months to decide whether a 'mismatch' tight end is worth a top-20 investment. For now, the projection puts a 6-foot-5, 257-pound target on Dallas' draft board and gives Cowboys fans something new to argue about until April. This article first appeared on Viral Sports News and was syndicated with permission.