Cowboys Tight Ends: Who Should Make the 53?

Jake Ferguson Is the Clear TE1

There is no debate at the top. We all know Ferguson is the Cowboys’ best tight end and one of the most reliable pass catchers on the roster.

In 2025, Ferguson caught 82 passes on 102 targets for 600 yards and 8 touchdowns. His 80.4% catch rate shows exactly why Dak Prescott trusts him. He may not be explosive with his 7.3 yards per reception, but he is dependable, efficient, and valuable in the red zone.

I know the blocking isn’t dominant, but I don’t think it has to be. Ferguson played 786 offensive snaps in 2025 and blocked on 240 of them, a 30.5% block rate. His blocking grades were 59.4 overall, 57.6 run blocking and 54.4 pass blocking.

Jake Ferguson is in the offense to catch passes, move the chains, and finish drives.

Brevyn Spann-Ford Should Be Safe

If Jake Ferguson is the receiving tight end, I think Brevyn Spann-Ford will be the physical presence.

Spann-Ford caught 9 passes on 13 targets for 90 yards and 1 touchdown in 2025, giving him a 69.2 % catch rate. His real value, in my opinion, is his blocking.

Brevyn Spann-Ford played 300 offensive games and blocked 226 of them. That’s a 75.3% block rate. In those blocks he posted a 73.0 overall blocking rate. He also posted a 68.2 run-blocking grade, the best blocking profile in this room.

The pass protection numbers aren’t perfect. He allowed pressure at 31.7% rate. Still, I want him helping the run game, working in heavy personnel, and bringing some nastiness to the offense.

Luke Schoonmaker Should Not Be Protected By Draft Status

I feel like this is where the Cowboys have to be real with themselves about the tight end position.

Schoonmaker was a second-round pick, and that still carries weight, but he hasn’t shown enough to be handed a roster spot. In 2025, he caught 14 passes on 23 targets for 132 yards and no touchdowns for a 60.9% catch rate.

I don’t want that to be enough to make him safe.

The argument for Schoonmaker is blocking, but even that isn’t impressive. He blocked on 63.5% of his offensive snaps, but his grades were only 55.1 overall, 54.2 as a run blocker, and 54.1 as a pass blocker.

Dallas is using him like a blocking tight end, but he isn’t giving them high-level blocking results. If he wasn’t a former second-round picka former second-round pick, he would already be off the roster.

Michael Trigg Brings the Upside Dallas Needs

Michael Trigg is the upside swing I wouldn’t risk losing.

At Baylor in 2025, Trigg caught 50 passes for 694 yards and 6 touchdowns, averaging 13.9 yards per catch. His 58.8% catch rate is not perfect, but the receiving ability is real.

I know he’s not a finished blocker. He had a 46.0 run-blocking grade, but his overall grade was 72.5 and his pass-blocking grade was 62.3.

Michael Trigg isn’t the guy you keep to win short-yardage fistfights right now. You keep him because he can become a real receiving weapon behind Ferguson.

DJ Rogers Deserves a Shot at Tight End

DJ Rogers may be the most balanced young tight end in the group.

At TCU, he caught 49 passes on 63 targets for 509 yards, 4 touchdowns, and a 77.8% career catch rate. His 2025 season was fantastic from a catch rate standpoint at 84.2%.

I love his blocking profile and its strong enough alone for the Cowboys to take him seriously. DJ Roger’s had an overall blocking grade of 72.9, with a 61.2 run-blocking grade and 71.5 pass-blocking grade.

That’s the kind of player I want on the 53. He can catch, block, and still has room to grow.

The Princeton Fant Experiment Should Be Over

I was pulling for Princeton Fant, but the injuries have hampered the start of his NFL career.

As a receiving tight end, he has had zero catches, receiving yards, or touchdowns. In 2024, he played 15 offensive snaps, blocking on 12 of them for an 80% block rate.

He had solid blocking numbers with a 61.5 overall grade, a terrible run-blocking grade at 58.9, but he was a great pass-blocker at 81.2. One great grade doesn’t make the roster.