Cowboys Rumors: Medicals withdrew fan favorite from consideration in Round 2

Dallas Cowboys fans are up in arms after the team reached on Michigan tight end Luke Schoonmaker at No. 58 overall in the second round.

Most experts had Schoonmaker as a third or fourth round prospect, and the Cowboys -- clearly intent on hunting needs over value and best player available -- took him earlier than anyone expected to replace Dalton Schultz.

It'd be foolish to draw conclusions on Schoonmaker hours after he was drafted. However, raw reactions are part of the drafting process and Cowboys fans can't help but point to other players who undoubtedly were rated higher on the team's big board and question why they passed on them for a mid-round player.

One prospect fans had been banging the table for since the NFL Combine was Georgia tight end Darnell Washington, who took a top-30 visit to The Star. He was one of three TEs available when Dallas picked in Round 2 and many questioned why his card wasn't submitted over Schoonmaker's.

That speculation was quickly nipped in the bud as David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reported Washington wasn't under consideration for the Cowboys due to a medical red flag.

Cowboys Rumors: Medical concerns prevent Dallas from drafting Darnell Washington

This would explain Washington's shocking fall. Though raw as a pass-catcher, there's no explaining why a player with his athletic profile, blocking potential and receiving upside would have lasted beyond the second round.

Unfortunately, the medical concerns are real. Per Walter Football, multiple teams "red-flagged" the former Bulldog and removed him from their board entirely. Washington suffered a foot injury before the 2021 season and again during the 2022 preseason.

Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 added a knee issue cropped up during Washington's medical evaluations that sounded alarms within the league.

This is so disheartening for Washington, who opened eyes and dropped jaws at the Combine with a 4.64 40-yard dash and measured at 6-foot-7 and 264 pounds. He clocked an elite 4.08 in the 20-yard shuttle and posted a 10-foot-2 broad jump. He's a rare breed of athlete who projected to double as an extra tackle and tight end as he developed his route-running, leverage use and understanding of coverages.

Might Washington have been the pick over Schoonmaker if not for his seemingly sudden medical concerns? It's hard to say, but the former fell all the way to the Steelers with the 93rd pick. It's great value for Pittsburgh and we're all rooting for Washington to stay healthy and fulfill his potential.

He would've looked better with a star on his helmet, though.