Cowboys Roster Review By Position: Tight Ends

With all the weapons the Cowboys have, it’s very easy to overlook the tight ends. Quarterback Dak Prescott does an excellent job of incorporating his tight ends in the passing game. Jake Ferguson leads a very well-rounded group and the remainder of the tight end group offers a variety of skills. Let’s further examine the tight end group. 

Jake Ferguson 

Jake Ferguson started off the 2025 season on a blistering pace. He was a favorite of  Prescott, who targeted Ferguson 48 times over the first five games of the season. His involvement spiked in Week 3 against the Chicago Bears, when he caught 13 passes for 82 yards. However, his output steadily decreased from that point.

What became more evident as the season progressed is that Ferguson wasn’t doing much after the catch. His volume overshadowed the fact that Ferguson had a career low in yards after the catch per reception, where he had only 3.7 YAC per catch in 2025.

Looking ahead to this season, Ferguson is still going to be a reliable option for Prescott, but it seems he’s not as elusive as he once was. That said, Ferguson is still a consistent weapon in the intermediate part of the field, especially down the seam, and was named to his second career Pro Bowl appearance last season. 

Brevyn Spann-Ford 

Spann-Ford has put in a lot of work to get where he is with the Cowboys. After going undrafted in 2024, he made the team primarily for his value as a blocking tight end. Listed as 6’7″ and 270 lbs., he’s a big body that can eclipse smaller defenders and drive them backwards. He also has underrated athleticism for his size.

In the passing game, he hasn’t been heavily involved, but going into his third year, he could do more. As it stands, it would appear that he has closed the gap on Luke Schoonmaker, with the latter only having slightly higher offensive snap share last season. Spann-Ford is under contract for at least one more season and will be a restricted free agent afterwards. Let’s see if he can take a leap as a receiver in his third season. 

Luke Schoonmaker 

After three years in the NFL, we still can’t say that Luke Schoonmaker is a regular contributor in the Cowboys’ offense. Schoonmaker is the most recent example of the team spending premium draft capital to acquire a tight end they didn’t need. Anthony Fasano, Martellus Bennett, Gavin Escobar, and now Schoonmaker. With Ferguson entrenched as the number one option at tight end, it doesn’t leave much space for Schoonmaker to provide a return on the second-round pick the team invested in him.

Last season, Schoonmaker had his lowest output as a pro, with only 14 receptions for 132 yards. It also doesn’t help that Spann-Ford is cutting into some of the opportunities. You’d have to imagine that Schoonmaker’s unspectacular run with Dallas ends this season unless he plays a much bigger role with the team. At best, he’s a depth player should something happen to Ferguson. 

Princeton Fant

After joining the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2023, Princeton Fant has managed to stick around, despite hardly seeing any meaningful offensive snaps. At 6’1″, 235 lbs., he’s not the conventional type of tight end you can play as an in-line Y, and he can’t play a role similar to Hunter Leupke as a lead blocker either.

Fant would benefit from Brian Schottenheimer finding creative ways to get him involved offensively. That may be in the works during the offseason and preseason. Dallas gave Fant a two-year contract last month and still has the right to tender him as a restricted free agent in 2028. He’s going to have a high hill to climb to see more playing time during the regular season, but with his contract in the fold seems to be on steady ground to keep his place on the team throughout the summer. 

What’s your take on the tight end group?