Fla Cowpoke
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Every scouting report on the TE says he is not a YAC threat. THey all say he gets after it as a blocker. He only has produced at all for one year. McCarthy is not the only one with an opinion.
From ESPN: Schoonmaker is a possession receiver who has better than average speed to stretch the seam but does the bulk of his work in the short to intermediate zones. He isn't dynamic but shows some burst out of his breaks and does a great job of using his strength and savvy to generate late separation. Schoonmaker has strong hands with a big catch radius and excels catching the ball in traffic. He shows surprisingly good body control to adjust to throws outside his frame, is a good in-line blocker and takes great care of his body. Schoonmaker has some versatility to play multiple roles at the tight end position. -- Final evaluation
From NFL.com: Versatile combination tight end capable of performing a variety of tasks in one-, two- or three-tight end sets. Schoonmaker steps foot on the field ready for action as a run blocker and does a nice job of competing in the entry and sustain phases of the block. He will need to add more muscle and play strength but already has a feel for creating run-lane angles with his footwork. He has the athletic talent to run a slightly expanded route tree, but he needs to do a better job of competing aggressively for catch space and meeting throws with extended hands. He could see action early but might need a year or so before he works himself into a full-time TE2 role.
Weaknesses
- Fails to impose his size on smaller defenders in coverage.
- Waits on the throw rather than reaching to attack it.
- Low rate of success when catching in a crowd.
- Only able to take what is given after the catch.
- Below average radar and adjustments as lead blocker.
- Needs to add additional play strength.
Luke Schoonmaker is more an idea than a ready-made player, but he has all the tools to grow into a difference-maker.
Schoonmaker's size and athletic traits pop off the screen. At 6'6" and 250 pounds, Schoonmaker is a bit lean, but he has plenty of length and could add weight in the NFL, if he really needs to. Schoonmaker's size looks even scarier when he strides out in space. On seam routes, deep over routes and shallow crossers—all routes that just let him build up speed—Schoonmaker brings a scary combination of size and raw speed. He's at his best on those routes that don't ask him to settle and break, but rather let him stride out in open grass. Those movement skills carry to his ability with the ball in his hands, too. He's no George Kittle, but he has the speed and smooth change of direction to be a consistent YAC generator.
From Athlon: He has a chance to get on the field early in his career, as he is a classic Y-tight end who can be an asset in the run game and in pass protection. He might never put up big receiving numbers, but his blocking gives him a sufficiently high floor.
SO, he has decent speed, but no one thinks he is gonna catch a ton of balls and they all say he isn't a big play threat. Most say he will take some time to contribute at anything outside of a blocking TE.
