Cowboys dip into Michigan pool again, draft Dalton Schultz’s replacement

Much like the Philadelphia Eagles with Georgia, the Dallas Cowboys like their Michigan Wolverines, as they drafted tight end Luke Schoonmaker to replace Dalton Schultz.

When it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles, they sure do love drafting Georgia Bulldogs players. That was evident on Thursday night, as they selected Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter and defensive end Nolan Smith with the No. 9 and 30 overall picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.

As for the Dallas Cowboys, it sure seems like they are enamored with Michigan Wolverines. In the first round, they selected defensive tackle Mazi Smith to help shore up their interior defensive line. In the second round, the Cowboys looked at the draft pool at Ann Arbor and to fill their void at tight end after Dalton Schultz left in free agency.

With the 58th overall pick, the Cowboys select Michigan tight end Luke Schoonmaker.

Cowboys draft Michigan TE Luke Schoonmaker to replace Dalton Schultz

Dallas opted against placing the franchise tag on Schultz for the second year in a row, and he made the move across the state, signing a one-year, $6.25 million contract. The Cowboys watched the Buffalo Bills trade ahead of them in the first-round to select Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid. So, they wait until Day 2 to address the position, and pick up Schoonmaker.

The 24-year-old tight end stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 251-pounds. He is a big target downfield, but can provide something that the Cowboys covet — run-blocking. Schoonmaker has made the most of his targets this past season, catching 35-of-45 for 418 yards and three touchdowns. In his four years with the Wolverines, Schoonmaker recorded 54 receptions for 637 yards and seven touchdowns.

Dallas’ offense will look a bit different next season. While wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup remain, the team brought in Brandin Cooks in a trade with the Texans. Now, Prescott has those three wideouts at the top of the depth chart, and has an option down the middle of the field in Schoonmaker. Not to mention an extra blocker for running back Tony Pollard.

The Eagles were teased as being the “Philadelphia Bulldogs,” due to their love of Georgia players. Is it now time to refer to the Cowboys as the “Dallas Wolverines?”