Could somebody explain to me why this team drafted a TE in the 2nd round?

[McKDaddy]

Tell us why you think they should have drafted a guard when they have 2 all pro guards.

BPA & we one of our guards is living off past performance.

 

[KJJ]

What did you expect?

I was expecting more than 8 catches for 65 yards from a second round pick who was active for every game. Since 2006 we’ve used 4 second round picks on TE’s and Schoomaker had the worst rookie numbers of any of them,

 

[McKDaddy]

I'd rather have Schoonmaker and Bass and the olineman in this year's draft than your 2nd round guard from last year's draft

those aren't the only combinations possible though.

 

[rambo2]

He could have been taking targets away from Ferguson had he performed well in camp and when given opportunities during the season. Ferguson won the number one TE job going away. John Stephens was outperforming Schoonmaker in camp until he was injured. One publication gave Schoonmaker the worst grade of any of our rookies in camp last summer.

They could have given him more targets if they had needed to do so. They didn't need to.

 

[KJJ]

They could have given him more targets if they had needed to do so. They didn't need to.

He wasn’t getting open and Dak hadn’t developed trust in him. He dropped what would have been a TD in the endzone early in the season and didn’t run his route long enough to get into the endzone on a very critical play against Philly in the first matchup. He had another drop after Ferguson went out of the game for a few plays with an injury.

 

[ConstantReboot]

why this team drafted a tight end in the second round. That ruined the whole draft for me. Could have gotten a linebacker or an offensive lineman, positions of need. I just didn't get it. Please let me know your opinion on this.

Because they are dumb. I asked this many times during the season.

 

[StarLord]

Breaking News: At the point of the draft, there was a run on TE's we needed one, and selected the WRONG one clearly!!! This team is constantly looking for a "blocking tight end" they've been looking for once since the dawn of mankind

Sorry, I think a LOT of us felt as though Ferg was going to be more than enough. I'm positive there must have been people in the room who felt that way as well.

 

[CowboyoWales]

why this team drafted a tight end in the second round. That ruined the whole draft for me. Could have gotten a linebacker or an offensive lineman, positions of need. I just didn't get it. Please let me know your opinion on this.

So put some context into your (and their) thinking:
- at the time one of the biggest reasons for the two defeats vrs SF (in the play-offs) was the inability to run the ball (which is the basis of the 49ers defensive blueprint).....a blocking TE helped the 'SCHEMING' to help the WHOLE running game, if your RB1 went down (ala Pollard).
- one of our offensive issues was predictability (especially at TE) Mckeon in = run, Pendershot = pass. A two way TE (wasnt it hoped/expected that he was a better receiver, but at Michigan you dont get the chance).
- we were moving to a WCO, which would of meant a number of 12 personnel and the need for secure blocking, as we didnt have a pass blocking RB (nor TE), we needed an upgrade.

We were rumored to wanting pick a TE early on, but the 'run' severely reduced the options.
If you want to focus on anything, consider that that WHOLE DRAFT, (with Mazi and your LB in the 3rd) was a DRAFT for NEED......and could of been considered the forerunner of the ALL-IN, which we all missed as it was 2023 (despite Jerry's recent comments....he just missed a hole year, as many octogenarians do).

 

[CWR]

Schultz, Dak's security blanket for several seasons, was leaving and they didn't know what they had in Ferguson, so they reached with predictable consequences.

What's worse is quite a few fans could see, or at least thought Ferguson was gonna be a fine replacement.

 

[raven55]

morons at work taking a 25 year old hurt te in the 2nd round should have fired all the scouting dept. at that time

 

[khiladi]

Needed more help for Dak….

 

[big dog cowboy]

He could have been taking targets away from Ferguson had he performed well in camp and when given opportunities during the season.

Whoa slow down. He wasn't expected to come in and start catching the ball right away. He was a late 2nd round pick that needed to learn the pro passing game. That isn't new news. We knew that after he was picked.

The bottom line is most thought he would be another Kelce and the truth is that the expectation of him was far far lower and was a completely unrealistic goal. Additionally, he wasn't ever going to be a big factor in the passing game for the simple fact he is way down the target list to cath many balls.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Needed more help for Dak….

The Cowboys thought the best help they could give him at that point in the draft was improved blocking. His production in the special teams was an added bonus.

 

[Coogiguy03]

BPA & we one of our guards is living off past performance.

yeah and we're about to pay some players based off their past!!!

 

[McKDaddy]

Whoa slow down. He wasn't expected to come in and start catching the ball right away. He was a late 2nd round pick that needed to learn the pro passing game. That isn't new news. We knew that after he was picked.

The bottom line is most thought he would be another Kelce and the truth is that the expectation of him was far far lower and was a completely unrealistic goal. Additionally, he wasn't ever going to be a big factor in the passing game for the simple fact he is way down the target list to cath many balls.

Ok, but why pick him at all in the 2nd if he was that far from being ready to do anything but block?

Sounds like a player that could have been gotten later. You need your early picks to be contributors early & show something in their rookie season that makes you believe they have an above average career ahead of them. He didn't do either of those and thus why so many question the choice.

 

[Coogiguy03]

Ok, but why pick him at all in the 2nd if he was that far from being ready to do anything but block?

Sounds like a player that could have been gotten later. You need your early picks to be contributors early & show something in their rookie season that makes you believe they have an above average career ahead of them. He didn't do either of those and thus why so many question the choice.

I agree, as I've said before we were in the hunt for a BLOCKING TE, could have easily got one later as you said, or picked one up in FA. This pick could have been better thought out, but there was a run on TE and they wanted to get one

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

They needed a blocking TE because Dak Prescott needs the bloody great wall in front of him to get through his slow processing of defenses.

 

[Coogiguy03]

They needed a blocking TE because Dak Prescott needs the bloody great wall in front of him to get through his slow processing of defenses.

looooooool post of the morning!!!

 

[charron]

They liked Schoon because he can block and catch. The problem is he can't catch and run better than Fergy so he isn't going to earn many offensive touches. Schoon would have been a good 4th or 5th round pick but IMHO a poor 2nd. There were other guys who could have come in to compete for more reps or start at other positions. I just don't see schoon contributing much untill they let Fergy walk and by then they'll need to draft someone to groom/replace schoon the following year.

 

[OmerV]

Breaking News: At the point of the draft, there was a run on TE's we needed one, and selected the WRONG one clearly!!! This team is constantly looking for a "blocking tight end" they've been looking for once since the dawn of mankind

It wasn't that we selected the wrong one, it's that the right one's weren't available when the Cowboys picked. They were already off the board, so it's a fair argument that the Cowboys should have passed on a TE at that time. The only reason to have taken a TE in the 2nd round was to get one of the top guys, and Schoonmaker was the 5th TE taken. The Cowboys had seen enough of Ferguson the year before to know he could play, even if they didn't yet fully know to what level, and they didn't take a TE that was assured to be a notable upgrade.