3 Cowboys Draft Picks Who Are Officially Busts Following 2023 Season

TE Luke Schoonmaker - 2023 Round 2, Pick 58

It may not be fair to characterize any player as a bust after only one year but there are plenty of reasons why Schoonmaker might be an exception.

First, the Cowboys' selecting Schoonmaker in the second round never made much sense. It was a complete miscalculation of what the team needed. The Cowboys already had Jake Ferguson who showed flashes in his rookie season that he could be the TE1 going forward. They also had Peyton Hendershot in the pipeline who is younger than Schoonmaker.

Second, drafting a tight end in the first two rounds of the draft only works out if you are getting a surefire difference maker. Getting a productive tight end in the later rounds of the draft isn't too difficult.

Third, the Cowboys had more pressing needs, like the aging offensive line. Instead, they opted to draft a 24-year-old TE2 when the team has struggled to get meaningful usage in two tight-end formations in years.

This isn't all on Schoonmaker. He could still be an impactful offensive player in the NFL as he is an effective pass-catcher and a blocker. But when the Cowboys drafted him in the second round, they surely expected better than 8 receptions and 65 yards for a full season.