2 reasons Cowboys fans shouldn't expect big production from Luke Schoonmaker in year one

The Dallas Cowboys entered the 2023 NFL Draft with a need at the tight end position. Dalton Schultz walked in free agency, and the team didn't add anyone in free agency.

So, many experts and analysts believed Dallas was going to take a tight end with its first-round pick. Michael Mayer out of Notre Dame was linked to the Cowboys throughout the draft process. It just made sense. Dalton Kincaid and other names were mentioned as possibilities, too.

When the Cowboys were on the clock at 26, Mayer was there for the taking. But the team decided to bolster their defensive line instead and selected Mazi Smith.

But one round later, Dallas got its tight end by selecting Luke Schoonmaker in the second round. The pick was a surprise to most, considering his age and limited college production.

He will turn 25 years old by Week 4 this season, which makes him on the older side as a rookie. Kyle Piitts, who is entering his third NFL season, is still 22 years old and won't turn 23 until October. T.J. Hockenson will turn 26 this summer and already has two Pro Bowl selections.

Schoonmaker also didn't "excel" as a pass catcher at Michigan. He had just 54 catches for 637 yards and seven touchdowns combined in his four college seasons. Last year, he pulled down 35 passes for 418 yards and three touchdowns.

However, there's a lot that went into Schoonmaker's small college production. For starters, Michigan threw the ball just 39.2% of the time last season. Out of 131 FBS college football teams, the Wolverines ranked 120th in pass play percentage.

Michigan simply didn't throw the ball much last season, which didn't help Schoomaker's numbers. But there's no doubt he's an athletic freak.

His RAS score (relative athletic score) was 9.86 out of 10. That ranked 16th out of 1,104 tight ends selected from 1987 to 2023. His 40-yard dash (4.63), broad jump (10'7"), shuttle (8.40), 3-cone (6.81), and 10-yard split (1.59) were all considered elite.

Schoonmaker has a ton of upside in Dallas' offense -- based on his size and athleticism. But don't count on the rookie to put up big numbers in his first season with the Cowboys.

Here are two reasons why.

1. Rookie tight ends don't tend to be superstars.

There's a major development curve for tight ends when they enter the league. It takes them longer than a running back or a wide receiver to get comfortable. Usually, tight ends need at least two or three seasons or even longer to finally show results.

See for yourself.

There were 10 tight ends taken in the first two rounds between 2018 and 2021: Hayden Hurst, Mike Gesicki, Dallas Goedert, Hockenson, Noah Fant, Irv Smith, Drew Sample, Cole Kmet, Pitts, and Pat Freiermuth.

Here's how each of them did in their rookie season.

1. Hayden Hurst

13 catches for 163 yards and one touchdown

2. Mike Gesicki

22 catches for 202 yards

3. Dallas Goedert

33 catches for 334 yards and four touchdowns

4. T.J. Hockenson

32 catches for 367 yards and two touchdowns

5. Noah Fant

40 catches for 562 yards and three touchdowns

6. Irv Smith

36 catches for 311 yards and two touchdowns

7. Drew Sample

5 catches for 30 yards

8. Cole Kmet

28 catches for 243 yards and two touchdowns

9. Kyle Pitts

68 catches for 1,026 yards and one touchdown

10. Pat Freiermuth

60 catches for 497 yards and seven touchdowns

Unless you're Pitts or Freiermuth, rookie tight ends don't see a lot of volume in their first season. Last year, second-round rookie tight end Trey McBride had just 29 catches for 265 yards and one touchdown.

There's a likely chance Schoonmaker follows that recent production trend from top tight end draft picks. He was drafted to an elite offense in Dallas, but the expectations should be lower for the rookie, especially considering how players like Goedert and Hockenson fared in year one.

2. Tight End Competition

There is no guarantee that Schoonmaker sees much playing time in his first season with Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot in the offense.

Both tight ends are now entering their second NFL season, and both stepped up when needed to last season -- Ferguson as the TE1 and Henderson as the TE2.

Ferguson finished his rookie season catching 19 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns. His best performance of the year came in Week 6 when Schultz missed the contest with an injury. He had four catches for 40 yards and one touchdown in the game. The 24-year-old tight end also made some nice plays through the season like his hurdle against the Giants on Thanksgiving.

On the other hand, Hendershot was a reliable blocker in the running game and an occasional pass catcher, having 11 catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns in year one. He also stepped up as the TE2 in the offense when Schultz went down. In two games without him, the rookie had a three-catch, 43-yard performance in Week 3 and a two-catch for 22-yard game on five targets in Week 6.

It remains to be seen where Schoonmaker might fit in on offense. He hasn't participated in Dallas' OTAs due to a foot injury, so the Cowboys haven't seen anything from him yet.

Schoomaker has just recently taken off the walking boot on his foot and is expected to be ready for training camp, which is encouraging news. But he faces a tight end battle with Ferguson and Hendershot this offseason.

Schoonmaker likely won't put up big numbers in his rookie season. Still, if he can contribute enough offensively and be another weapon for Dak Prescott in the passing game, that would be huge.

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