The Dallas Cowboys continued with their selections as the 2023 NFL Draft conducted its second and third rounds on Friday night.
Dallas held the 58th and 90th overall picks and decided to address both sides of the ball.
With their second-round pick (58th overall), the Cowboys drafted Michigan tight end Luke Schoonmaker. Schoonmaker was the second Michigan player picked by Dallas in this draft, joining first-round pick Mazi Smith.
The selection fills a need for the Cowboys as Dalton Schultz left for Houston in free agency, and the remaining tight ends are also young and need more NFL experience.
Schoonmaker began the season as a backup at Michigan but took on the starting role after Erick All underwent back surgery that caused him to miss the rest of the season. In All’s absence, Schoonmaker became a crucial element of the Michigan offense — catching 35 passes for 418 yards with three touchdowns.
He is also a tough, hard-nosed blocker.
“I’m all about toughness and grittiness,” Schoonmaker told the Cowboys Draft Show. “If you ask me to do a job, I’m going to do it with the best of my ability. … You put me in-line, put me in the slot, and I’m going to do my job. I’m going to do what’s asked of me and do it to the best of my ability.”
With their third-round choice (90th overall), the Cowboys opted for a local player in Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown.
Overshown is coming off a career-best season in which he amassed 96 tackles and was named first-team All-Big 12. He is a disruptive player who has played in various defensive schemes and positions that allowed him to make plays all over the field, including rushing the passer.
“That’s one of the things that raised my stock this year — showing that I can get on the edge and pass rush, get after the quarterback, make him make quick decisions, [and] get him out of the pocket where we can get after him,” Overshown told the Cowboys Draft Show. “I see myself pass rushing on third down [and] getting out on the edge.
First-round pick Mazi Smith arrived in Frisco on Friday and was introduced to the media during a press conference.
Smith was the first defensive tackle Dallas has drafted in the first round since Russell Maryland in 1991, prompting reporters to ask if he believes he has to live up to the legacy.
“There’s definitely something for me to do here, history or not,” Smith responded. “Everybody knows defense is going to win championships, and to have a good defense, you’ve got to have a good middle. The middle of the defense has got to be strong, and I’m just glad they see in me that I can do it. I appreciate that, and I’m not going to let them down.”
The 2023 NFL Draft concludes with rounds 4-7 on Saturday. Round 4 begins at 11 a.m. CT, and the Cowboys have four more picks to round out their draft class.