Cowboys panic after run on tight ends, reach on Michigan's Luke Schoonmaker

The Dallas Cowboys weren't going to leave the second round of the NFL Draft without a tight end. Panic clearly settled in amongst fans -- and possibly Dallas' war room -- after the surprisingly early run on tight ends in Round 2.

By the time the No. 58 overall pick came around, the Cowboys double dipped on Michigan players and selected tight end Luke Schoonmaker.

It's not an exciting pick by any stretch and it's hard not to view it as a panic pick in fear that the tight end pool would be dried up by the third round. Sam LaPorta, Luke Musgrave, and Michael Mayer were all taken early in the second.

Either way, the Cowboys have their Dalton Schultz replacement.

Cowboys draft Michigan's Luke Schoonmaker in second round after early run on tight ends

Schoonmaker didn't have much production at Michigan so the Cowboys are clearly betting his athletic profile will translate to the NFL. He finished his college career with 54 catches for 637 yards and seven touchdowns. He enjoyed a breakout year of sorts in 2022, catching 35 balls for 418 yards and three scores.

Schoonmaker is scheme-versatile and enters the NFL as a readymade run-blocker, which is something the Cowboys covet in their right ends.

Here's the Draft Network's scouting report on the Michigan pass-catcher.

"Schoonmaker is a willing and effective blocker in the run game. He fits his hands well and shows the play strength to turn defenders to seal the edges. Blocking may be his best trait overall. Schoonmaker’s ability to block allows him to work on tight end delay concepts in the passing game"

Sounds like Schoonmaker could be an immediate mauler in the run game as he develops as a pass-catcher. He's a smooth route runner and his production will surely take off in the league given he played in a run-heavy Michigan offense.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Schoonmaker joins a Cowboys tight end room that now consists of all former Big Ten standouts, including Jake Ferguson (Wisconsin), Peyton Hendershot (Indiana) and Sean McKeon (Michigan).

We'd love nothing more than for Schoonmaker to overcome all of the initial consternation from fans that followed his selection.