Michigan football NFL Draft profiles: TE Luke Schoonmaker
Michigan football is known for its usage of tight ends under head coach Jim Harbaugh and Luke Schoonmaker is the latest that will make the jump to the pros. In a historically-deep tight end class, many believe he has the chance to be one of the bigger sleepers in the later rounds.
Schoonmaker appeared in 43 games at Michigan with 20 starts and also contributed on special teams. He was a two-time All-Big Ten selection (third team, coaches, honorable mention, media in 2022; honorable mention coaches and media in 2021) and shared Most Improved Player Honors on offense during the 2021 season. Schoonmaker finished his Michigan career with 54 catches for 637 yards and seven touchdowns. He had 35 receptions for 418 yards and three scores last season.
Here is a look at how Schoonmaker profiles to the next level.
Luke Schoonmaker’s background
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 251 pounds
School: Michigan
Position: Tight End
Projected: 4th-5th round
Measurements (Combine): Height: 6-5, Weight: 251 lbs., Arm: 32 7/8″, Hand: 9″
Combine: Vertical jump: 33.50″, Broad jump: 10’7″, 40-yard dash: 4.63 seconds, 20-yard shuttle: 4.27 seconds
Measurements (Pro Day): Height: 6-5 1/4″, Weight: 252 lbs, Wingspan: 79″, Hand: 9 3/8″
Pro Day: Bench Press: DNC, 40-yard dash: DNC, Vertical jump: 35.5, Broad jump: DNC, 3-Cone drill: 6.81, 20-yard shuttle: 4.26
Strengths
Schoonmaker is a fluid route-runner and gets off the ball quickly at the snap. He has knack for finding ways to get open in soft zone coverage and has a wide catch radius to grab balls that go high or low. Teams are highest on his blocking ability, which makes him an asset in sealing off an edge for outside runs. Schoonmaker displayed a ton of contact courage during his time at Michigan and keeps a wide base when getting involved in blocking. He has the look of a guy who can do a lot of daman get attacking off of flat routes or crossing patterns. His athletic profile suggests he can be way more productive than he was at Michigan.
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Weaknesses
The first thing that people see when evaluating Schoonmaker is a lack of productive over his five years with the program. A lot of it has to do with not being involved until later in his career mixed with a timeshare at tight end. Michigan spreads the ball around in its limited passing game, so it has never had much of a featured target in recent years. Teams are right to question his workload because we have not seen much of him. He could clean things up a bit as a run blocker and sharpen the finer points of his craft. Schoonmaker’s frame and athletic profile do not always match what happens when he matches up with smaller players. You would like to see him impose his will a little more. There are also questions about his yards after the catch. He will be 25 years old during his rookie season.
Luke Schoonmaker overview
The Michigan product is going to head to a much-pass happier level of the game, so any questions about what he can handle in the passing game should be answered quickly. A run-happy team that has other receiving threats could help Schoonmaker find a role as a reliable target over the middle of the field. The above criteria feels like what it would take for him to potentially emerge as a starting tight end in an NFL offense.
That said, it feels like he has the chance to be a quality No. 2 option and stick around for a long time. He is good enough as a receiver and his blocking ability makes him a valued commodity in a league where a lot of incoming tight ends are glorified wide receivers. There is still a role for guys to be threats in the play-action passing game and help ground you in the run game. Schoonmaker is fit for that given the program he comes from.
