Cowboys sign Schoonmaker, expected contract details for 2nd rounder

Dallas signed their first draftee Michigan tight end Luke Schoonmaker, a day before rookie minicamp begins at The Star. | From @cdburnett7

The Cowboys rookie minicamp starts Friday, and they’ve signed their first rookie to a deal. Michigan tight end Luke Schoonmaker, who Dallas selected with the No. 58 pick, inked his four-year deal according to his agency, JL Sports.

Thanks to the rookie wage scale, which automates the majority of each rookie’s first contract, the expected value of Schoonmaker’s deal is already known. It should come in very close to $6.3 million in total value including a $1.55 million signing bonus.

Schoonmaker was a surprise selection to some, but it filled a position of need for the Cowboys who are banking on his upside. While his stats from 2022 don’t pop off the page with 418 yards and three touchdowns, his athleticism is what drew the Cowboys to him.

With the trio of Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot and Sean McKeon already on roster, Schoonmaker should fit right into the group with ease and provide another option for quarterback Dak Prescott. Ferguson and Hendershot are the same age as Schoonmaker at 24, emphasizing the youth that Dallas has at the position to build over the coming years.

For now, Schoonmaker’s true journey begins in a day at rookie minicamp, where he’ll learn the ropes at The Star and look to build the trust of the Cowboys coaches as he joins a competitive tight end room..