Dallas Cowboys 7-Round Mock Draft 2023 (reloading the roster)

Dallas Cowboys pick 170 – Luke Schoonmaker, Tight End, Michigan

The Dallas Cowboys normally carries four tight ends on its roster. They are one of the few teams that have been consistent on that front. Dalton Schultz is once again looking for that long term deal, but I believe he will have to look elsewhere.  If that is the case, that development would open the door for Dallas picking Luke Schoonmaker out of Michigan.

Yes, he is a tight end from Michigan, but he is more than a blocker. At 6’6″ 250 pounds, he is a prototypical in-line tight end. He is not extremely fast, but he uses his length and catch radius to make up that difference. The physical ability is there. With Dallas, he will have time for his understanding of the position to catch up with those traits. Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot and Sean McKeon will more than likely take up the snaps at tight end.

Last season, Ferguson played almost immediately. Some of it was need-based but the other reason was because of his blocking ability. Big Ten tight ends are almost born to block at the minimum effectively. Depending on how quickly Luke absorbs the playbook and shows something in training camp, he may be able to push Sean McKeon out to be that third tight end with another veteran taking the fourth spot.

This prospect has a lot of similarities to Kyle Rudolph early in his career. I would not go as far as saying that’s Schoonmaker’s ceiling, but if he climbs anywhere near that as his potential, the Dallas Cowboys would have hit a gold mine.