Luke Schoonmaker, Ronnie Bell put together strong NFL Combine days
Michigan football had a pair of pass catchers on display on Saturday at the 2023 NFL Combine in tight end Luke Schoonmaker and wide receiver Ronnie Bell. Both had solid showings during workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
NFL.com compares Schoonmaker to Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox and ranks him 9th among tight ends in the 2023 NFL Draft class. He ran an unofficial 4.63 40-yard dash at 6-foot-5, 251 pounds. His 10-yard split came in at 1.57 seconds and he ran the shuttle drill in 4.27 seconds. Schoonmaker’s athletic testing was rounded out by a broad jump of 10-feet, 7 inches and vertical jump of 33.5 inches.
“Schoonmaker is a willing and effective blocker in the run game,” The Draft Network’s Damian Parson writes in his scouting report. “He fits his hands well and shows the play strength to turn defenders to seal the edges. Blocking may be his best trait overall. Schoonmaker’s ability to block allows him to work on tight end delay concepts in the passing game. He is an effective receiving option off of play-action. Whether attacking up the seams, in the flats, or on crossers, Schoonmaker can find open opportunities within the defensive coverage. He has a good feel for attacking zone coverages. As a result, he can be a reliable quick option in the passing game. I like the way he fights through contact initially during his stems. He displayed good strong hands to make his share of difficult catches.”
Bell put in a solid day’s work at the office, running his 40-yard dash in 4.54 seconds with a 10-yard split of 1.52 seconds. He went through the 3-cone drill with a time of 6.98 seconds and completed his 20-yard shuttle in 4.15 seconds. Bell recorded a 10-foot broad jump at hit 38.5 inches on his vertical jump.
“True Michigan Man, displaying the competitive spirit and work ethic expected inside the program,” NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein writes. “Bell made it back in 2022 after sustaining an ACL tear in 2021, but he still looked a little passive getting in and out of breaks at times. His surprisingly low contested catch total is a bit deceiving, as the tape shows some incredible near-catches at challenging angles. So, his ball skills are a strength. He can catch what is thrown to him but might need to do it against zone or with help from scheme, as he potentially lacks the separation traits to get open consistently on the next level.”
How their respective draft stocks are affected will be more known as the dust clears coming out of the combine. Schoonmaker could potentially be a second or third round pick. Bell has been seen by most pundits as a day three selection anywhere from the fourth and seventh rounds.
Sunday is the final day for on-field workouts at the combine with a pair of offensive linemen leading the way for Michigan with center Olu Oluwatimi and tackle Ryan Hayes. Workouts will be televised from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
