Cowboys’ 2023 draft pick trending towards bust territory after new injury

The Dallas Cowboys have one of the best drafting resumes in the NFL over the last decade. The success of a draft class is never decided after one season, but Cowboys fans don't have high expectations for the 2023 class after it hardly contributed in year one.

Luckily, there's reason to believe first-round pick Mazi Smith will bounce back under Mike Zimmer, who has confirmed Smith will get back to the weight and position (nose tackle) that made him a household name at Michigan.

The same can't be said for second-rounder Luke Schoonmaker. The pick was considered a reach given the Cowboys had Jake Ferguson coming off a promising rookie year and that Schoonmaker was an older prospect (24 years old), had minimal production in college and was injured at the time of the draft.

Those concerns were on full display in 2023, but Cowboys fans hoped Schoonmaker would turn the page and hit the ground running in year two. That might have been wishful thinking, as Schoonmaker is battling with yet another injury that will stall his development.

Cowboys' TE Luke Schoonmaker could miss all of OTAs with hamstring injury

Mike McCarthy revealed on Tuesday that Schoomaker is expected to miss all of OTAs with a hamstring injury. This marks the second spring in as many seasons that Schoonmaker will be sidelined with an injury. Last year, a foot injury suffered at Michigan cost him almost all of OTAs and the start of training camp.

A shoulder injury forced Schoonmaker to miss part of the offseason program as well. In a shocking revelation, Schoonmaker underwent shoulder surgery after the 2023 season, so he had already missed part of the offseason. This hamstring injury marks yet another setback for the second-year tight end.

Schoonmaker commendably bounced back to play all 18 games. His toughness is undeniable, but that won't get him far in the NFL if he can't stay healthy. After all, injuries were one of the biggest knocks on Schoonmaker coming out of Michigan last year.

It's terrible that Schoonmaker can't shake the injury bug. He showed promise as a run-blocker and two of his eight catches went for touchdowns. You obviously expect more from a second-round pick, but Cowboys fans took what they could get after he missed almost the entire offseason.

Getting a full OTAs and training camp was paramount for Schoonmaker to bounce back as a sophomore. Alas, his absence will open up reps for Peyton Hendershot and heralded undrafted free agent Brevyn Spann-Ford. Not to mention, fan darling John Stephens Jr. is ahead of schedule in his ACL rehab.

If Schoonmaker can't get back on the field soon, he runs the risk of being leapfrogged on the depth chart. More concerning, though, is that the dreaded 'b" word still start being thrown around if he can't upstage his dud rookie year.

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