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Michael Trigg #1 of the Baylor Bears was signed by the Dallas Cowboys.

The Dallas Cowboys had their eye on Baylor tight end Michael Trigg for a while now. There’s no doubting Trigg’s talent–he was a third-team All-American last year, and a first team All-Big 12, with 50 catches and 694 yards, plus six touchdowns. He was a finalist, too, for the John Mackey Award for the best tight end in the nation. Which leads to the question: Why did he go undrafted last week?

The answer to that goes mostly back to character concerns and positional value. The tight end group was deep this year, and Trigg’s history of run-ins with coaches and staff members–plus reports that he would outright skip meetings–pushed him off many boards. Trigg courted controversy, but most of those incidents occurred while he was at Mississippi, a program he left in the midst of the 2023 season.

There is some hope that he stopped courting controversy while playing for the Bears the past two years.

Thus, the Cowboys put on a strong pursuit of Trigg once the draft was finished and no one picked him. They gave him a $200,000 guarantee on a (standard) three-year, $3.1 million UDFA contract, the highest they’ve given to a UDFA, which gives Dallas strong incentive to make the team.

Cowboys Didn’t Draft a TE Last Week

At The Athletic, Cowboys beat reporter Jon Machota noted that of all the Cowboys’ UDFA signings, the one who is most likely to make the roster is Trigg. Machota noted that the Cowboys take the undrafted market very seriously, and quoted Stephen Jones saying pointing out that the draft used to be 12 rounds–the UDFA market is essentially a continuation of that.

In a post titled, “Cowboys undrafted rookie free agents: Who is most likely to find a roster spot?” Machota tabbed Trigg as the No. 1 option. DJ Rogers, a tight end from TCU, was No. 2 on the list.

Machota wrote: “This tight end class was considered to be strong. While the Cowboys didn’t draft one, they added a pair after the draft that could have easily been their seventh-round pick. Trigg is a player Dane Brugler, The Athletic’s draft expert, gave a fifth- or sixth-round draft projection.”

Michael Trigg Humbled by Not Being Drafted?

Indeed, there is much to like about Trigg as a playmaker with good size (he’s 6-foot-4) and talent. If there was a sense–at least at Ole Miss–that he felt he was bigger than the team, going undrafted over three days last week would certainly be a humbling experience and likely to knocks Trigg down a peg. Going into a locker room of stars, where Dak Prescott is the leader of the offense, should have the impact of getting Trigg to buy into what the team asks of him.

If so, the Cowboys may have a find. Jake Ferguson is the unquestioned top tight end in the room for Dallas, but behind him, Luke Schoonmaker could be on his way out, and fellow former UDFA Brevyn Spann-Ford is ascending. There’s room for Trigg to grab a spot.

What the Cowboys Get With Michael Trigg

As for what the Cowboys are getting from a scouting standpoint, here’s the NFL.com view on Trigg:

“Long, rangy tight end offering rare arm length, good speed and some alignment versatility. Trigg moves like a big wideout with surprising hip sink, foot quickness and fluid transitions to run after the catch. He wins vertically against linebackers and overwhelms defensive backs with size, high-point talent and massive hands that fuel highlight-reel catches.

“He’s still developing as a route-runner and struggles to finish catches through heavy contact. His frame and pad level limit in-line blocking, but he can wall off or stalk block from the slot. Trigg’s field-stretching potential and air space dominance in the red zone should lead to production as a pro.”