Luke Schoonmaker NFL Draft Overview
Position: Tight end
Height: 6′-6″
Weight: 249 pounds
School: Michigan
2023 NFL Draft: Luke Schoonmaker Scouting Report
Luke Schoonmaker played five seasons for the “Big Blue” of Michigan. In his first season in 2018, Schoonmaker saw action in one game but did not record any statistics. In his second season for the Wolverines, Schoonmaker played in 10 games, recording two catches for 54 total yards and one touchdown. In the six games the University of Michigan was able to play in the Covid-19 shortened season of 2020, Schoonmaker appeared in all six contests at both tight end and on special teams but did not record any statistics.
In what was his senior year, in 2021 Schoonmaker put together a breakout year, up to that point. He played in all 14 games, starting 10 of them for the Wolverines while making 17 catches for 165 yards and three touchdowns. As a fifth-year senior, his final one in Ann Arbor, Schoonmaker had his best season ever, playing in 12 of 14 games, where he caught a spectacular 35 passes for 418 yards, and matched his total career high for touchdowns, from the previous season, with three.
Strengths
- Duration from snap to route running is smooth and efficient;
- Quick and efficient footwork is especially effective in stop-and-go routes;
- NFL-ready run blocker;
- Gets into open spaces in soft coverages;
- Squaring up on blocks leads to exceptionally proficient blocking.
Weaknesses
- Needs to be more physical, especially against smaller defenders;
- Needs to go to the ball; not wait for it to come to him;
- Does not gain many yards after catch (YAC);
- Needs to get physically stronger, overall;
- Has difficulty making contested catches.
NFL Comparison: Durham Smythe
Teams With Need At Position: Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins
Projection: Rounds 3-4
Bottom Line on Luke Schoonmaker
Schoonmaker is an above-average-sized tight end, when it comes to his height, standing at 6′-6″. For his size, Schoonmaker has great footwork which allows him to get into his routes smoothly and efficiently and also enables him to have success on stop-and-go routes. He is a player that a team who runs the ball a lot would love to have as his skills as a run blocker are already on an NFL level. He has a nose for finding soft spots in the defense and making catches in those areas.
Like any prospect, Schoonmaker has attributes where he could improve. He needs to get stronger overall, which will happen as he will work with an NFL strength and conditioning team. He also needs to work on going to the ball and not waiting for the ball to come to him, which will be an adjustment from the college game. The NFL has ball-hawking defensive backs, more so than he saw in his time in Ann Arbor.
He also needs to work on being ready to fight for the ball against linebackers, cornerbacks, and safeties as making contested catches has been a bugaboo for him in the past. He also needs to play with more physicality and take advantage of his height and size when being defended by a smaller player. For all his strengths and weaknesses, Schoonmaker was a large part of why Michigan was so successful last season, and he has the capability to be a difference-maker for a team in the NFL, in much the same way, in the not-so-distant future. Look for Schoonmaker to be drafted in the third to fourth rounds.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
