Packers draft prospects to know: Michigan TE Luke Schoonmaker

Continuing on in my ‘Packers Draft Prospects to Know’ series, where I identify prospects that will specifically intrigue the Green Bay Packers, I will be taking a closer look at Michigan tight end Luke Schoonmaker.

At the NFL Combine, Schoonmaker measured in at 6’5″ and weighed 251 pounds. He posted an elite Relative Athletic Score of 9.86 out of 10, which was the third-highest in a class of tight ends that, as a group, tested extremely well.

Schoonmaker was known more for his blocking abilities with the Wolverines, totaling 673 career run-blocking snaps, according to PFF. Just under 70% of Schoonmaker’s career snaps came lined up in-line, and, for what it’s worth, he would rank 37th out of 100 eligible tight ends in PFF’s run-blocking grade this past season.

As a pass catcher, 62 of Schoonmaker’s 64 career targets came over the last two seasons. He was reliable, hauling in 75% of those targets, and found the endzone five times. Schoonmaker’s yards per catch took a big jump from 7.7 yards in 2021 to 10.6 yards in 2022, and he was one of the more efficient pass-catching tight ends this past year, ranking 16th in yards per route run.

Although in comparison to some of the other top tight ends in this year’s draft class, Schoonmaker’s athletic testing shows that he possesses the upside to be a factor as a pass-catcher. His ability to affect the game both as a pass-catcher and blocker would help Matt LaFleur with disguising plays, something that was missing from the Packers’ 2022 tight end room, with each player having a very specific defined role.

In what is a very deep tight end draft class this year, PFF has Schoonmaker ranked as their seventh-best tight end and 95th prospect overall on their big board. For more on his game, here is what Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote:

"“Versatile combination tight end capable of performing a variety of tasks in one-, two- or three-tight end sets. 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.”"

It’s no secret that tight end is arguably the Packers’ biggest positional need right now. The current tight-end room is made up of only Josiah Deguara, Tyler Davis, Austin Allen, and Nick Guggemos.

In addition to just building the depth, the Packers could also use more playmaking at the position. This was something that many of last year’s playoff teams had, but Green Bay was lacking. Although reliable, Robert Tonyan ranked near the bottom of the tight end position group in yards per catch.

With 10 draft picks and tight end being a major need both for the 2023 season and into the future, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Packers spend two picks on the position, especially with how deep this draft class is. With that said, it’s worth noting that very rarely do rookie tight ends come in and make a big impact.