Hamden Hall product impressed Cowboys

Luke Schoonmaker, the tight end from Hamden Hall who impressed at Michigan, joined the Dallas Cowboys on Friday night as a second-round pick in the NFL Draft.

Schoonmaker, 6 feet 5 and 251 pounds, went to Dallas with the 58th overall pick, slightly ahead of where draft analysts had projected in a draft with several highly regarded tight ends.

“A whole lot of excitement and so much thanks,” Schoonmaker told The Cowboys Draft Show. “So blessed for this opportunity.”

Schoonmaker, originally from Old Saybrook, played at Hamden Hall, committing to Michigan in 2018. He played in 43 games across five seasons for the Wolverines, catching 54 passes for 637 yards and five touchdowns.

Tight end was considered an area of need for Dallas. In the first round, Buffalo traded up ahead of the Cowboys to select Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid with the 25th pick. Dallas then chose Michigan defensive lineman Mazi Smith and waited until Round 2 to get their tight end. Sam LaPorta of Iowa went to the Lions and Michael Mayer of Notre Dame to the Raiders earlier in the round.

“What I really like about Luke is he is very, very well rounded,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy told reporters in Dallas.

Schoonmaker is considered an in-line tight end, a strong blocker, but versatile enough as a receiver.

He played several positions, including quarterback and cornerback, for coach Joe Linta, also his agent, at Hamden Hall before settling at tight end, catching 22 passes for 343 yards as a senior. Schoonmaker is the first player from Hamden Hall to be drafted by the NFL.

“I’m another versatile guy, you can put me anywhere on the field,” Schoonmaker said. “… I’m all about toughness and grittiness. You ask me to do a job, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”