The Dallas Cowboys are heading into training camp with a tight end competition that deserves more attention than it’s getting. While it’s already identified as a meaningful camp battle, I don’t think we’re talking about the implications enough. After all, how it turns out will say a lot about the past and present of the team.

You see, tight end Luke Schoonmaker, the Cowboys’ 2023 second-round pick, is fighting for the No. 2 spot at tight end behind Jake Ferguson and potentially for his 53-man roster spot entirely. The outcome of this battle will reveal a lot about the harsh reality of the 2023 draft class and potentially, of a new way of doing things in Dallas. Let’s break it all down.

Schoonmaker’s production speaks for itself

It’s hard to believe, but Schoonmaker is entering his fourth year with the Cowboys. Over 51 games, he has 49 receptions. That’s under one catch per game for a player Dallas drafted believing he could compete with Ferguson for the starting job back in 2023. No bueno. 

Schoonmaker was always a traits-based prospect who never fully developed. As of today, the best way to describe his play is that he doesn’t do one thing at an above-average level. He’s a decent blocker (I’d even say below average) and a decent pass catcher (again, below average). He doesn’t stand out in any phase of the game, and that’s a problem when the competition is gaining ground.

Brevyn Spann-Ford and Michael Trigg are coming for those snaps

Take Brevyn Spann-Ford, who is competing for the No. 2 tight end role. We still need to see more from him as a pass catcher, but Spann-Ford can flat-out block in the run game. He consistently shows up on film, and the Cowboys were comfortable enough to let him take on defensive tackles in their blocking scheme rather than just sealing backside defensive ends. That’s unusual for a tight end and speaks to his physicality. Right now, I’d say Spann-Ford is the clear frontrunner for the No. 2 spot behind Ferguson.

That pushes Schoonmaker into a battle for the No. 3 tight end spot, which may be the last roster spot available at the position. Dallas began the 2025 season with only three tight ends on its 53-man roster, and I have no reason to believe 2026 will be different.

The name to watch there is undrafted rookie Michael Trigg. Trigg has his own battle to fight. He needs to prove that the off-the-field concerns that followed him through multiple college programs and suspensions are behind him. If he does that, the Cowboys will have something different in Trigg: a big-bodied target who can develop as a pass catcher without needing to be attached to the offensive line. He has the physicality and the tools to evolve as a blocker, too, as long as he’s willing to get his hands dirty. 

If Trigg has a strong training camp, Schoonmaker could end up without a roster spot.

What a Schoonmaker cut would say about the Cowboys 2023 draft class

Here’s where it gets painful. If Schoonmaker is cut before September, only DeMarvion Overshown would remain from the Cowboys’ 2023 draft class on the roster.

Think about that. Mazi Smith, a former first-round pick, was traded during Year 3 of his career. Not only that, but he was the forgotten aspect of the Quinnen Williams trade. Defensive lineman Viliami Fehoko never developed. Asim Richards had some time as a backup tackle but nothing more. Cornerback Eric Scott barely saw the field. Running back Deuce Vaughn was a preseason standout and little else. Wide receiver Jalen Brooks had his moments under Mike McCarthy but nothing special.

Overshown is the best player from that class, and he hasn’t even played a full season heading into Year 4. For a franchise that prides itself on its “draft and develop” mindset, a class like 2023 stings. You cannot have that kind of return on a full draft when you refuse to spend aggressively in free agency. 

The sunk cost test for Schottenheimer’s Cowboys

If Schoonmaker is cut, however, there’s a big silver lining. I’m not wishing bad things on Schoonmaker. Roster cuts are a brutal time for NFL players. But if Dallas does part ways with him, I’ll feel a little bit good about this front office and coaching staff. Let me explain. 

If Schoonmaker has a mediocre training camp and preseason and still makes the team, it will feel like he earned the spot because of his second-round draft capital, not his play. But if the Cowboys choose Trigg over Schoonmaker, it will send a message: this coaching staff keeps the best player regardless of what a guy cost three years ago. That’s the kind of decision-making that separates teams willing to evolve from those stuck repeating the same patterns.

This front office hasn’t done everything perfectly. I would have liked to see them spend more in free agency. But they have done some things differently since last offseason, from trading for George Pickens to signing Jalen Thompson to a $33 million contract and hiring younger coaches at coordinator positions. How they handle Schoonmaker’s roster fate could be another sign that the culture under Schottenheimer is shifting.

For now, we wait for training camp. But this battle is bigger than a No. 3 tight end job. It will be a direct view into how the Cowboys evaluate their own mistakes and whether they’re willing to move forward from them.