The deadline to visit with NFL teams passed last week. According to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, Michigan tight end Luke Schoonmaker visited with the San Francisco 49ers before that deadline. The 2023 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday.
"A legitimate dual threat blocker and pass catcher," wrote Melo.
There's so much interest in @UMichFootball TE Luke Schoonmaker.
Schoonmaker had 6(!) Top 30 visits: #Lions, #Buccaneers, #Broncos, #Bills, #Jets, #49ers. A legitimate dual threat blocker and pass catcher.@LukeSchoonmaker x @TheDraftNetworkhttps://t.co/n8dZZJedvy
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) April 26, 2023
NFL.com projects Schoonmaker to be a second or third-round draft pick. San Francisco doesn't own any picks in the first or second rounds but holds three at the end of the third.
Schoonmaker registered 35 receptions for 418 yards and three touchdowns through 12 game appearances as a senior in 2022, per Sports Reference, missing two games due to injury. He caught 54 passes for 637 yards with seven touchdowns through his collegiate career.
"Versatile combination tight end capable of performing a variety of tasks in one-, two- or three-tight end sets," Lance Zierlein wrote within the player's NFL.com scouting report, comparing Schoonmaker to Dawson Knox. "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."
Schoonmaker is from Hamden, CT. He earned a pre-draft grade of 6.36 from NFL.com, which equates to an "eventual strong starter," per the site's 8-point grading scale.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6' 5 1/4" and 251-pound Schoonmaker had a 40-time of 4.63 seconds, a vertical jump of 33.5 inches, a broad jump of 127 inches, and a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.27 seconds. His other measurables include an arm length of 32 7/8 inches and hands measuring 9 inches.
"I think I surprised a few of them at least," Schoonmaker recently told Melo regarding his Combine numbers. "I'm sure there were some scouts that were expecting a lot out of me. Either way, my goal was to reach the expectations I set for myself. I wanted to be one of the top-performing tight ends in the class.
"I was working really hard in preparation for the NFL Scouting Combine. I went out there and let it all loose. I was aiming to give it my best shot throughout that entire week. I put up some great numbers. I was very happy with the outcome. I'm sure it shocked a lot of people."
Schoonmaker had a vertical jump of 35.50 inches, a 6.81-second three-cone drill time, and a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.32 seconds at his personal Pro Day, per NFLDraftBuzz.
"I want to be a playmaker with the ball in my hands," Schoonmaker said. "When I catch the ball, I don't expect to get tackled by one defender. I'm trying to get North and South. I'm trying to get into the end zone."
| College Statistics | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Class | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||||||||
| 2019 | Michigan | SO | 2 | 2 | 54 | 27 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2020 | Michigan | JR | -- | -- | -- | -- | |||||||||
| 2021 | Michigan | SR | 9 | 17 | 165 | 9.7 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2022 | Michigan | SR | 12 | 35 | 418 | 11.9 | 3 | ||||||||
| Total | Michigan | 54 | 637 | 11.8 | 7 | ||||||||||
