The Dallas Cowboys’ 2023 draft class has thinned out fast, and Luke Schoonmaker looks like the next name that could be on the move.
Dallas has already moved on from first-rounder Mazi Smith, who was traded away as part of the Quinnen Williams deal in 2025. The late-round picks from that class are gone too, leaving Schoonmaker, a second-round tight end, and linebacker Demarvion Overshown, a third-round pick, as the only survivors.
Overshown has been the most productive of the group, but injuries have kept him from staying on the field. Schoonmaker’s path has been different: he never carved out a starting job and has since been passed by Brevyn Spann-Ford, who recently signed an extension.
That reality is what prompted Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox to point to Schoonmaker as a possible trade chip. Knox wrote that Schoonmaker could help a team looking for tight end depth and a bigger receiving role.
"Schoonmaker has caught just 51 passes for 459 yards and three touchdowns, and he's now firmly cemented behind starting tight end Jake Ferguson. He's played just 24 percent of the offensive snaps this season," Knox wrote.
"Now in the final year of his rookie deal, Schoonmaker is unlikely to establish himself as a starter in Dallas, and he's not going to earn a lucrative free-agent contract with modest numbers. He would benefit from joining a team that either lacks a No. 1 receiving tight end or has lost one to injury."
Knox listed the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles as two possible landing spots.
Miami would give Schoonmaker a familiar face in Smith, his former Michigan teammate. Smith was released by the New York Jets this offseason and later joined the Dolphins’ practice squad.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, has a need with Dallas Goedert dealing with a sprained MCL. For now, the Eagles would be leaning on Johnny Mundt or E.J.
Jenkins. They also recently brought back Zach Ertz, who spent 10 years with the franchise before stops with the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders.
Ertz is still working back from a torn ACL suffered in December, so his availability remains uncertain. That leaves Schoonmaker as a clean fit on paper for Philadelphia.
Even so, the Cowboys may not have much incentive to help a division rival. With Schoonmaker likely to fetch no more than a sixth- or seventh-round pick, Dallas could decide the better move is simply to hold onto him.
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