49ers vs. Cowboys: 5 Dallas players who are biggest threats to Niners
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: 49ers face an under-the-radar receiving threat in TE Dalton Schultz
It’s not just Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb the 49ers have to worry about on Sunday.
Dallas has a number of complementary pass-catching weapons, too, including wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. and tight end Dalton Schultz.
And Schultz might be the unsung player who could give the Niners plenty of fits during the game.
Schultz certainly hasn’t emerged towards the upper echelon of tight ends going right now. But after putting together a quality 2021 campaign that saw him haul in 78 catches for 808 yards and eight touchdowns, all among the Cowboys’ top leaders, it’s impossible to overlook him as a threat.
On top of that, San Francisco has something of a secretive weakness entering this game, primarily within their linebacker corps that has had issues covering receiving targets for much of the season.
Linebacker Fred Warner has seen a small decline in his usual All-Pro self, while third-year linebacker Dre Greenlaw only recently came back from injured reserve with a groin injury and hasn’t displayed any notable coverage improvements from what was seen his rookie season.
This could be a problem, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see a player like Schultz make a massive impact during the game.