For an undrafted player, Brevyn Spann-Ford has relatively high expectations for just his third season. After pushing his way into a timeshare with Luke Schoonmaker last year, Spann-Ford enters Dallas’ camp as the fan favorite for the primary backup job in 2026.
Background
Years in NFL: 2
Acquired by: UDFA (2024)
With prototypical size but only average athleticism and poor technique coming out of Minnesota, Spann-Ford went undrafted in 2024. He signed on with the Cowboys, who had a fairly locked-in top two of Jake
Ferguson and Schoonmaker but an open situation for TE3. With Lunda Wells coaching him up, Spann-Ford quickly impressed his way onto the 53-man roster.
Spann-Ford was clearly the third guy as a rookie, having about a hundred fewer snaps than Schoonmaker throughout the season. But in 2025, as Schoonmaker again showed little growth from his rookie year, Spann-Ford took another step forward and earned more attention. By the end of the year, he had pulled even with the former second-round pick for overall playing time, even beating him out in some games.
Despite a TE-rich draft class in 2026, the Cowboys mostly maintained status quo. With Schoonmaker not really deserving a vote of confidence, that would seem more a nod to Spann-Ford’s perceived potential, and Dallas’ satisfaction with at least one of them being a solid primary backup this season.
Contract Status
Years Left: 1
2026 Cap Hit: $1.08 million
With one year left on the three-year deal he signed as a UDFA, Spann-Ford would be a restricted free agent March. His goal this year is to either do enough to making it a second-round tender or to merit a multi-year extension.
2026 Projections
Role: Backup TE
Roster Chance: 90%
If last season’s trajectories hold, Spann-Ford should fully move ahead of Schoonmaker and claim the backup job outright. Given Schoonmaker’s age and expiring contract, the Cowboys probably aren’t going to force snaps his way regardless of his former draft status. While funny things can happen in contract years, Schoonmaker feels like a guy who just plateaued early and offers no upside going forward.
Of course, Spann-Ford and Schoonmaker aren’t the only TEs battling in this year’s camp. Journeyman Princeton Fant is still around, and now undrafted rookies Michael Trigg and DJ Rogers have entered the chat. Trigg is especially worth monitoring: a talented receiving prospect whose draft stock was hurt by character concerns. But even if these guys make a push, again, Schoonmaker seems closer to the chopping block at this point than Spann-Ford.
What about Spann-Ford threatening Jake Ferguson? Ferguson has been battling assorted injuries, but with good health, it’s hard to think that his experience and proven chemistry with Dak Prescott won’t keep him as the top dog.
Even if starting isn’t in the cards for Spann-Ford this season, a roster spot feels almost guaranteed. Beating out Schoonmaker for TE2 feels inevitable, if it didn’t already happen last year. And even if other prospects have strong summers, it’s hard to see it knocking Spann-Ford down a peg, and certainly not off the roster completely.
Check out our previous player profiles from this series:
RB Israel Abanikanda | S Justin Barron | G T.J. Bass | C Cooper Beebe | CB DaRon Bland | G Tyler Booker | S Alijah Clark | RB Malik Davis | DT Tommy Dunn | CB Cobie Durant | OLB Donovan Ezeiruaku | TE Princeton Fant | TE Jake Ferguson | WR Ryan Flournoy | C Matt Hennessy | S Malik Hooker | OLB James Houston | QB Sam Howell | WR Jordan Hudson | LB Shemar James | G Trevor Keegan | CB Derion Kendrick | OLB Isaiah Land | OLB Marist Liufau | S P.J. Locke | FB Hunter Luepke | RB Phil Mafah | QB Joe Milton III | WR Jonathan Mingo | CB Devin Moore | LB DeMarvion Overshown | TE DJ Rogers | TE Luke Schoonmaker | LS Trent Sieg | WR Anthony Smith | OT Terence Steele | CB Reddy Steward | OT Nate Thomas | S Jalen Thompson | DT Jay Toia | WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling | OLB Tyrus Wheat | RB Javonte Williams | OLB Sam Williams | DT D.J. Withers | S Julius Wood
