Dallas Cowboys 2023 draft grades: The science of the grades, pick by pick

Dallas Cowboys Pick 58: Luke Schoonmaker, TE (Michigan)

When the Dallas Cowboys went on the clock, they had a few good looking options awaiting them. Not just at TE but at a handful of positions. But Dallas seemingly knew who they wanted and made the pick regardless of who was on the board.

Luke Schoonmaker, 6-foot-5, 255 pounds, wasn’t at the top of many boards. The Michigan TE rated 80 on the consensus board indicating the Dallas Cowboys picked him far ahead of most valuations.

TE isn’t an overly valuable position in the NFL. Unless the prospect is an elite pass catcher, their value is limited (hence it’s one of the lowest paid positions in the NFL). This impacts surplus value and positional value since Schoonmaker is a project player in the passing game.

From a need perspective it’s a good pick. The Dallas Cowboys needed to bring in someone to platoon with Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot and Schoonmaker enters the TE room as the alpha blocker of the bunch.

Schhonmaker’s best quality is his risk – or lack thereof. Even if he never develops (which is possible because he’s abnormally old for a rookie) he’ll be useful as a blocker. But to draft a run-blocking specialist when the unit is ultra-deep and many options remained, is hard to justify.

• Draft position value: 60
• Positional value: 70
• Surplus value: 70
• Need: 85
• Risk: 95
• Scarcity: 60

Grade: C – (73)