At pick No. 58 in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected tight end Luke Schoonmaker from Michigan. He was the second Wolverine in a row to hear his name called by Dallas after they took defensive tackle Mazi Smith in the first round.
Just like Smith, Schoonmaker fills a huge need for the Cowboys but it's hard to say he truly moves the needle. He has the talent to be a starting tight end in the NFL but his skill set isn't wildly different than Jake Ferguson.
For that reason, they could have looked to a different player including these three prospects.
Cowboys prospect No. 3: O'Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida
If Dallas sticks with the plan to start Tyler Smith at left tackle, then they will need a new left guard. In the end, they'd do well to move Smith back to the spot he began playing as a rookie but selecting O'Cyrus Torrence would have given them the best opportunity to line him up where they would like to.
Torrence entered the draft as one of the top prospects at the position following a great season with Florida. He was originally with Louisiana but followed Billy Napier to Gainesville and was even better in the SEC.
Clearly, the value would have been fine as well considering Torrence had his name called on the very next pick. The Buffalo Bills, who also needed a guard, brought in Torrence who feels like a plug-and-play starter. For Dallas, that would have really rounded out their offensive line.
Cowboys prospect No. 2: Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State
Admittedly, the Cowboys were running low on options at tight end. They clearly believed this was their greatest need but with Sam LaPorta, Luke Musgrave, and Michael Mayer off the board, they might have started to get worried. There was also Darnell Washington, but apparently, a knee injury had several teams, including Dallas, concerned about his future.
That's why Luke Schoonmaker was taken, but as mentioned previously, he doesn't really move the needle. At best, he's a more refined Jake Ferguson.
That doesn't mean there wasn't a dynamic option out there — see Tucker Kraft for example. Kraft played for South Carolina State and while he might not seem superior to Schoonkmaker when it comes to their showing at the Scouting Combine, he was much more explosive on the field.
A former basketball player, Kraft was able to shine when it came to adjusting to the ball in the air and he's also a bully when it comes to contact. He doesn't let the tackler come to him, but instead takes them on full speed and breaks tackles with his aggressive approach.
The main issue with Kraft is his small-school status, which is something Will McClay shies away from. Still, his potential seems greater and it might have been better to swing for the fences.
Cowboys prospect No. 1: Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
Dallas had brought Jalin Hyatt in for a pre-draft visit and it felt as though he would be a great fit. The Tennessee wideout is a big play waiting to happen and could have been the missing piece to their wide receiver puzzle.
There were even those who thought he was a first-round talent, although his limited route tree did threaten to keep him on the board until Friday. Still, the fact that he slid into Round 3 feels like a crime. And what makes it worse is the fact that he landed with the New York Giants.
New York traded up to get in front of the Cleveland Browns, who wound up taking Hyatt's teammate Cedric Tillman with the very next selection. There, they took Hyatt and now Dallas is going to have to put up with him twice per season.
Thankfully, Dallas does have Brandin Cooks and they believe Michael Gallup will return to form. If so, they will have three starters to believe in — with CeeDee Lamb leading the way. They could also still see Jalen Tolbert make a leap in year two.
Perhaps all of that is why they didn't wind up taking Hyatt but it's hard not to think his selection would have made more of an impact.