You will be hard-pressed to find a draft pick that was as much maligned as Luke Schoonmaker for the Dallas Cowboys. 
The Michigan tight end has been battling injuries and consistency since arriving at The Star and was underwhelmed in Year 1 in 2023. Schoonmaker again had injury issues at training camp and barely saw the field prior to Jake Ferguson going out with a concussion against the Houston Texans.
Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer stated that Schoonmaker had to be more consistent to see snaps, and with Ferguson out for the last three games, the former second-round pick has flourished.
Fresh off a five-reception, 33-yard game against the New York Giants in a 27-20 win, Schoonmaker is finally enjoying his football.
“I think just having the fun that I am, is definitely the emotional side, and I think being able to make the most out of my opportunities and have fun with it,” Schoonmaker said. “Then other guys that do big stuff in the room too, just having fun with them and appreciating all that we do.”
In his last three games, Schoonmaker has totaled 56, 55, and 33 yards from a combined 14 receptions, and his arrow finally seems to be trending upward.
After being heavily criticized for his play and inability to get on the field, Schoonmaker is making the most of his opportunity without Ferguson, and it looks like Dallas' second-round pick wasn't wasted.
Of course, it is only a small sample size, but Schoon is finally making some noise for the Cowboys, and he's having fun doing it.
