The Dallas Cowboys have made a habit out of finding gems in undrafted free agency. They are hoping to unearth some more diamonds in the rough this year, but second-year man Brevyn Spann-Ford could be headed for a breakout season.
Competing in a deep tight end room, Spann-Ford needed to hit the ground running this offseason. The young tight end has done just that in the opening stages of Dallas' voluntary offseason team activities.
Spann-Ford was one of the starts of the first week of OTAs. Cowboys reporter Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted that Spann-Ford was "unstoppable" in Tuesday's practice and made several big catches down the field.
Forgotten Cowboys TE Brevyn Spann-Ford already turning heads at OTAs
"(Dak) Prescott connected with multiple pass-catchers throughout the day, including a handful of connections with tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford," Harris wrote. "The second-year undrafted tight end out of Minnesota earned a roster spot last season and kept it throughout the year. Heading into year two, he looks to be adding some receiving knacks to his game with the help of Prescott."
It is worth reiterating that it is only OTAs. Only minimal contact is allowed and tackling is forbidden. Defenders can't get as physical as they would like in coverage, so pass-catchers, especially physically-imposing ones like Spann-Ford, have the upper hand.
That said, Spann-Ford seemingly contributing as a pass-catcher is a big deal. Catching was arguably his biggest knock coming out of Minnesota. He struggled badly with drops, totaling nine (!) in his final season in 2023 while posting a lowly 45.9 PFF receiving grade.
If the former Golden Gopher can show some consistency in that department, he has a great chance of challenging Luke Schoonmaker for TE2 snaps. While Schoonmaker flashed some potential when Jake Ferguson was out of the lineup last year, Spann-Ford's usage skyrocketed in the final two months, including when Ferguson and Schoonmaker were healthy.
He played at least 20 offensive snaps in five of the final eight games, including three games with more than 30 snaps, per Pro Football Reference. He logged more than 20 offensive snaps just once in the first eight games. The team clearly likes him.
It is imperative that Spann-Ford continues this momentum throughout OTAs and into training camp. If he shows the requisite growth as a receiver, he is an easy breakout candidate for Dallas because of his blocking upside.
It's early but Spann-Ford is officially a name to monitor.
