Cowboys countdown to kickoff: #87 Jake Ferguson

The Dallas Cowboys face the New York Giants in Week 1. and we’re counting down to it by jersey numbers.

We’re continuing our countdown to the opening game of the Dallas Cowboys 2023 regular season. Each day we’ll present a new player whose jersey number represents the countdown to opening day. Today is number 87.

TE Jake Ferguson
Born: 18th January 1999 (24) – Rapid City, Dakota
College: Wisconsin Badgers
Draft: 2022, Round 4, Pick 129, Dallas Cowboys

2022 Stats:
Snaps: 629
Targets: 22
Receptions: 19
Yards: 174
Yards Per Catch: 9.2
Touchdowns: 2
Drops: 0
First Downs: 8
Penalties: 2

College:
Jake Ferguson red-shirted his first year at Wisconsin. His grandfather, Barry Alvarez, was once head coach for the Wisconsin Badgers. One thing he proved while playing at Wisconsin was his consistency and reliability even though he played on a team that was limited on offense by poor quarterback talent. He ended his time in college with 145 receptions, 1,618 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was picked early on Day 3 by Dallas in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Cowboys Review:
There have been a lot of fans championing Ferguson to succeed since joining Dallas and he was very quickly a fan favorite. His toughness, especially at the catch point while making catches in traffic, was something Cowboys fans became excited about very early on. This was shown during the Eagles game in Week 6 when he opened his NFL account by catching a seven-yard touchdown. His blocking needs improvement which has been seen mostly on running plays, but for a rookie tight end last season, he did more than enough to feel confident about his ability to succeed.

2023 Roster Projection:
With Dalton Schultz now off the roster it’s up to Ferguson to make a push for the starting role. This year’s second-round draft selection, Luke Schoonmaker, will be his biggest competition. In Ferguson’s favor is his experience having already played a year in the NFL, and he already has established chemistry with Dak Prescott. We know how important the tight end position is to Dak as a safety valve and also on red zone targets, so Ferguson could be in for a big step up this season if he can beat out the competition.

Projected 2023 Stats:
Snaps: 611
Targets: 65
Receptions: 45
Yards: 422
Yards After Catch: 388
Touchdowns: 5

The Big Question:
Will Jake Ferguson play more of a role on offense this year than Luke Schoonmaker? Comment below with your answer.

Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images