Blake Jarwin in the Mix to Replace Jason Witten As Dallas Cowboys Starting Tight End

When Blake Jarwin walked on at Oklahoma State, his chances of earning a scholarship and All-Big 12 honors probably seemed pretty slim. And when he went undrafted, signed with Dallas but was then waived, his odds of succeeding future Hall of Famer Jason Witten as the Cowboys’ starting tight end seemed astronomical.

Don’t bet against Blake Jarwin.

Marcus Mosher, who writes and scouts wide receivers and tight ends for Bleacher Report, among other things, tabbed the former Cowboy Back as the current leader for Dallas’ starting tight end spot based on what he observed during OTAs and minicamp.

Allen Hurns is the clear-cut No.1 WR on this team. They are experimenting with Cole outside more. Blake Jarwin is TE1. Rico barely gets any snaps in practice.

— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) June 18, 2018

The Cowboys said goodbye to Witten, who retired this offseason after 15 years as the Cowboys’ starting tight end. The Cowboys’ all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards will leave plenty big shoes to fill, but it appears Jarwin may be first in line to try and fill them.

Jarwin has apparently beat out former Baylor basketball player-turned tight end project Rico Gathers, as well as Geoff Swaim and rookie Dalton Schultz, at least at this point.

If this trend holds up when the Cowboys assemble in Oxnard, California for training camp on July 24, the former walk-on from Tuttle should be on the fast track to No. 1 reps on Sundays this fall.

Jarwin isn’t necessarily a dynamic athlete, but he does show plus traits in short area speed and quickness, as well as having a good physical profile for the position. This shows in his play as he often able to win in and out of his breaks in his routes which leads to a lot of success in the intermediate part of the field for Jarwin.

Winning down the field was missing from the tight end position for Dallas in 2017 with an aging Witten, so Jarwin has a real opportunity to offer something new to the Cowboys offense in 2018. [CowboysWire]

Jarwin saw just three snaps on offense and nine on special teams in one game as a rookie last season. The Cowboys tried to stash him on the practice squad after he was cut. But when the Philadelphia Eagles attempted to scoop him up, their hand was forced and he was added to the 53-man roster so that Dallas could keep him.

That move, and some remarks made by Dallas executive vice president Stephen Jones this past April, indicate that the Cowboys thought highly of Jarwin, even before they learned Witten had run his last route in Big D.

“…There’s Blake Jarwin who we think has some really special upside. He was a receiver in college. I think one year as a receiver caught 70 or 80 balls, and has really developed his body. He’s up to about 255, 260 pounds, still running great, really has got the body type you look for and then has those wide receiver traits as a pass receiver that is certainly positive. At the same time being behind Jason, you’re going to be active to play special teams, and both of them can be big contributors in that area.” [SportsDay]

Hopefully nobody corrects Jones’ recollection of Jarwin’s college stats. It’s always good to have a fan in the front office.