The Dallas Cowboys addressed a major need when they took defensive Mazi Smith in the first round. It was also a bit of a surprise considering the buzz surrounding the Cowboys taking a tight end with their first selection in the weeks leading up to the NFL Draft. 

Speaking of the tight end position, the second round is where the Cowboys added to the room with Michigan's Luke Schoonmaker. Coupled with Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot, Schoonmaker gives the Cowboys one of the more promising young tight rooms around the NFL.

When it comes to tight ends in Dallas it starts and ends with future Hall of Famer Jason Witten. Schoonmaker was able to acquire Witten's cell phone number and picked his brain on what it's like to play the position in the NFL.

“He didn’t have to reach out to me, but obviously I’m pulling for him,” Witten said. “I know it’s a tough transition. He’s got a lot of great resources, that’s what I told him."

Schoonmaker will be at best the third guy behind Ferguson and Hendershot to start. However, at 6'5" and 251 pounds Schoonmaker is very athletic (33.5-inch vertical jump, 10'7" broad jump) and he showed versatility at Michigan by taking 134 snaps in the slot and 20 as an outside receiver in addition to his 315 as a true tight end. 

Although he has a diverse skill set, Schoonmaker is a rookie so he still needs some polishing to become a finished product. His situation is ideal though in that regard because he'll be able to learn from older guys but also gets his reps in, and playing is the best teacher. 

While he's trying to find his way, Schoonmaker couldn't have picked a better guy than Witten to hit up. He started 245 of the 255 games he played in for the Cowboys during his 16-year stint there so not only was Witten productive but he was reliable and Schoonmaker can take advice from him on how to take care of his body and what to eat and things of that nature.

Schoonmaker was a big fan of the New England Patriots fan growing up in Connecticut and latched on to Rob Gronkowski, another future Hall of Fame tight end. However, once he knew he was headed to the Cowboys, his research on Witten became extensive. 

“I’ve been watching Witten like all the time, and I think just him as a player, of course, is spectacular," said Schoonmaker. "He’s going to be a Hall of Famer. But him as a person, as a teammate, he’s such a leader. And I’ve been trying to just research and understand his mindset and how he went about leadership and stuff like that.”

Although Schoonmaker reached out to Witten, the Cowboys' legend told him to watch quarterback Dak Prescott and All-Pro right guard Zack Martin. Specifically, Witten told Schoonmaker to watch how they study, train, and treat their teammates.

Schoonmaker has a great ace in the hole with Witten on his side now so there's no telling how good he can be or how fast he will progress.