The Dallas Cowboys’ tight end room was one of the most fascinating heading into the season. The tight end room comprised Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot, Luke Schoonmaker, and Sean McKeon.
With the group being the youngest in a new offensive scheme, it was interesting to see how Mike McCarthy utilized them throughout the season.
More was expected from the tight ends, with the West Coast offense focused on the passing game. However, they were used to blocking, especially throughout the season, with injuries on the offensive line.
But what are some of the biggest takeaways from the Cowboys’ tight ends this season?
Evaluating the 2023 Dallas Cowboys Tight Ends
Jake Ferguson’s 2023 Evaluation
This was Ferguson’s first season as the team’s starting tight end, and he quickly became one of Dak Prescott’s safety blankets.
During the season, the tight end’s ability to create yards after catch was noticeably one of his best assets.
He also displayed his ability to leap over defenders.
Fergie hurdle ‼️ @MundoNFL
📺: #PHIvsDAL on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/YCEDNi5Ozb pic.twitter.com/SAnOAcjTJD— NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2023
He ended the season with 71 receptions for 761 yards and five touchdowns. He has not fumbled during his two years with the team.
He played in nearly 75% of offensive plays this season, which sounds ideal, but much of that was to block.
Although the Cowboys’ loss to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round will be remembered more by their performance, Ferguson shined bright in that game with one of the only positive performances.
In that game, he led the team with 10 receptions for 93 yards and three touchdowns, making him the third tight end in Cowboys’ franchise history with double-digit receptions in a playoff game behind Jay Novacek and Jason Witten.
Next season, getting Ferguson more involved in the passing game and establishing him as a threat to opposing teams is vital.
Peyton Hendershot’s 2023 Evaluation
Hendershot played eight games this season as an ankle injury left him on injured reserve (IR) for the better half of the season.
He only played 159 snaps within those eight games, having four receptions for 38 yards.
Hendershot is an example of how much blocking the tight end room did during the season, especially for the run game.
The tight end played on 23% of the special teams’ snaps and had a major punt block in the team’s last regular season game.
BLOCKED KICK! Everything coming up Cowboys 🤠
📺: #DALvsWAS on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/X0vcyHUoyR pic.twitter.com/gahB9Ml2kf— NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2024
Although Hendershot had a less ideal year than expected, seeing how more offseason training will help him in 2024 will be interesting.
Luke Schoonmaker’s 2023 Evaluation
As for Schoonmaker, the rookie and second-round draft pick had less involvement in the passing game than initially expected. He had three receptions for 19 yards and two touchdowns.
Schoonmaker had a rough start to his rookie season as he was dealing with a plantar fasciitis injury that slowed down his progression.
Although he did mental reps during his injury, he rejoined the team for training camp in August for a ramp-up phase.
Luke Schoonmaker is officially on the practice field for the first time as a member of the #DallasCowboys. pic.twitter.com/895GoOfqQM
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisDC) August 7, 2023
With the rookie having a year to learn the scheme and adjust to McCarthy’s offense, next year should look much different.
Sean McKeon’s 2023 Evaluation
McKeon is the room’s most veteran player, as he has spent the last four seasons with the Cowboys.
Although he never had an opportunity to show his talent with a stacked tight end room, it was on display this season more than in previous years.
He was an early standout in training camp but started the regular season on the practice squad.
When Hendershot was placed on IR, McKeon was elevated and played in nine games this season.
He had very little involvement in the offense during this time, only playing 100 snaps with one target and no receptions.
However, John Fassel used him on special teams, where he played 142 snaps.
MORE: Dallas Cowboys Depth Chart
McKeon will be a free agent this offseason, and with a stacked tight end room and John Stephens Jr. on track to return from a season-ending ACL injury, it’s unclear if the team will want to keep him for depth next season.
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