In this work we have investigated the performance of Schottky photodetectors based on materials non-conventionally used to detect near-infrared wavelengths. In the proposed devices the absorption mechanism is based on the internal photoemission effect. Both three-dimensional (sputtered erbium and evaporated germanium) and two-dimensional materials (graphene) have been considered and their performance compared. Our insights show that silicon Schottky photodetectors have the potentialities to play a key role in the telecommunications opening new frontiers in the field of low-cost silicon photonics.