Luke Schoonmaker has been fighting an uphill PR battle since the day the Dallas Cowboys drafted him. Selected at No. 58 overall in the 2023 NFL draft, Schoonmaker was a considerable reach based on consensus draft boards. Despite some pushback, those consensus boards are right more often than wrong and Schoonmaker is an excellent example.
Since his lackluster rookie season where he contributed just 65 receiving yards on a 53.3 percent catch percentage, Cowboys fans have been trying to replace the former Michigan product as TE2 on the depth chart. With former UDFA Brevyn Spann-Ford’s maturation over the last two seasons, 2026 might finally be that year.
There’s no question Spann-Ford has enjoyed the benefit of modest expectations. The undrafted free agent out of Minnesota joined the Cowboys as a camp hopeful in 2024. His modest production at the University of Minnesota made him a one-dimensional prospect specializing in run blocking. Unlike Schoonmaker, the team didn’t invest much to get him, so anything he could offer the offense felt like free money.
While Spann-Ford continues to re-enforce the one-dimensional label that once left him undrafted, he’s performed so well in that role he’s a massive asset for the offense and possibly even a favorite to claim that No. 2 spot behind Jake Ferguson on the depth chart.
Spann-Ford’s run blocking has been downright dominant at times. His 6-foot-7, 270-pound frame makes him one of the largest and most powerful tight ends in the game. In a day and age where tight ends are getting leaner and leaner to emphasize their downfield playmaking ability, Spann-Ford is rarity and as such, a special weapon in his own right.
While Spann-Ford has yet to log more than 100 receiving yards in a single season, he’s also without a single drop or fumble and holds a career catch percentage of over 65 percent. In 2025 he saw a slight uptick in receiving impact when five of his nine receptions resulted in either a first down or touchdown. Schoonmaker still led him in snaps and targets in 2025, but he only posted 42 more receiving yards, leaving the door wide open for Spann-Ford to overtake him on the depth chart this year.
Pairing Spann-Ford with Ferguson in 12 personnel is schematically strong since the TE2 is often tied to the line as a blocker. In instances were Spann-Ford is asked to be a downfield target, he’s more than capable of executing assignments, even if his ceiling is somewhat capped in this area.
In addition to leading Schoonmaker in WAR rating (wins above replacement), Spann-Ford’s PFF grade of 73 rates No. 16 league-wide, while Schoonmaker’s 55.1 grade rates just No. 64. It’s also important to point out Spann-Ford comes with an extra year of control since he’ll be a restricted free agent in 2027 while Schoonmaker becomes an unrestricted free agent. There’s no question money plays and draft status matters in Dallas, but the clock is about to strike midnight on Schoonmaker and Spann-Ford is primed to overtake.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Former UDFA pushing Cowboys 2nd-round pick for key role in ’26 offense
Reporting by Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
