Cowboys post-draft roster review: Tight ends

Here is a look at the state of the Cowboys tight end group.

After the Dallas Cowboys acquired George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers, you can see the vision for this year’s offense. Furthermore, when examining all the offensive skill positions, you start to notice how balanced the group has become. Tight end hasn’t had any major newcomers like wide receiver and running back, so it’s gone under the radar.

Yet, the depth, stability, and importance of the position cannot be undervalued. Dak Prescott loves utilizing his tight ends. As we’ve seen over the years, tight ends get better when playing alongside Prescott – like Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz. For the full success of the offense, tight end is a very important skill group. In continuing with our roster rundown series, we center our focus on the Cowboys’ tight ends.

Jake Ferguson

Upon being drafted in the fourth round in 2022, it took Ferguson a year to get acclimated at the NFL level. However, in year two Ferguson quickly established himself among a crowded tight end group before ultimately taking the TE1 role after Schultz’s departure to the Houston Texans. Ferguson took a huge step forward in his second season, with 71 receptions for 761 yards and five touchdowns. His 2023 efforts earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl. Ferguson has the catch radius to make difficult grabs and can make plays after the catch due to his toughness to fight for extra yards. Ferguson missed three games last season and wasn’t the same after returning to the starting lineup. Ferguson enters the final year of his contract and is set up for a monster year at just the right time financially.

Luke Schoonmaker

When Schoonmaker was drafted with the 58th overall pick in 2023, it drew the ire of fans. Recent history has shown that the Cowboys taking a tight end in the second round hasn’t panned out and the value of taking one in the second round hasn’t proven to be worth the investment. The decision was all the more puzzling because Ferguson was already on the roster and Prescott’s ability to get the most out of the position.

In Schoonmaker’s defense, he did boast an impressive athletic profile making him an enticing prospect. His RAS score was very impressive.

Furthermore, could Schoonmaker be improving? Schoonmaker tripled his production in 2024 in terms of yards and receptions. He also improved his catch rate to 75% and had a 55.6 success rate, indicating he was making more meaningful plays. Schoonmaker may be starting to bloom before our eyes.

Brevyn Spann-Ford

The first thing that stands out about Brevyn Spann-Ford is his size. At 6’ 7”, 270 lbs. he’s the Cowboys blocking tight end. He was a standout at the University of Minnesota in that role, oftentimes looking like a slightly smaller offensive tackle. As a rookie he played in all 17 games, which is a pretty good feat. That said, he has to clean up some of his mistakes as a blocker where he occasionally misses assignments, which is correctable and expected for a young player. Spann-Ford isn’t just a blocker, he does offer some sneaky athletic upside with pretty good hands. He has a strong handle on his roster spot because he is the primary blocking tight end. The question now is can he demonstrate more in the preseason as a pass catcher?

John Stephens

John Stephens could be characterizes as a tight end who doesn’t offer much in the way of a blocker, but creates mismatches with his size and athleticism. During the 2023 offseason, Stephens was on his way to making the team before injuring his ACL.

Stephens was making highlight plays at training camp practices and was forcing a difficult decision for the coaches during the cutdown. Last season Stephens picked up where he left off and was having a great camp until he tore his ACL again. Stephens hopes the third time is the charm as he prepares for his third season with the team. He will get an extended look in the preseason to show that the injuries are behind him. He also has to contribute as a blocker and let’s pay attention to where he lines up in formations to track his development in transition from college wide receiver to NFL tight end.

Others

Princeton Fant
Rivaldo Fairweather
Tyler Neville