The most interesting part about Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft is the intimation that Dallas would play a rookie at tackle.
When it comes to mock drafts there really are no rules. Given that the entire purpose of mocks is to project and simulate the way that things could go, all while assessing the best needs and fits for every team, there are a lot of assumptions being made. At this particular point in the year before free agency has unfolded, or even the NFL combine has been held, there are a lot of assumptions being made specifically about the states of teams that will change as we approach the 2024 NFL Draft.
One particular assumption has caught a lot of Cowboys’ fans attention.
Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft suggests the Cowboys have a need at both tackle positions
It can be argued that any position on an NFL roster is a need. The severity of needs is obviously what is the most significant detail relative to things like the NFL draft.
From an offensive line standpoint the Cowboys ended the season with (left to right) Tyron Smith, Tyler Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Zack Martin and Terence Steele. It was the ideal five that they concocted the moment that they drafted Tyler Smith in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Questions hover over the group as Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz are both set to hit free agency (the former reportedly wants to return to the Cowboys for another season in 2024). It stands to reason that there will be at least one different starter come Week 1. These are things we have been assuming since beginning to look forward to 2024.
If Tyler Biadasz were to leave then the next man up at center could arguably be Brock Hoffman. In a Tyron-less world, it makes sense for Dallas to kick Tyler Smith outside, like they did for much of his rookie season, but doing so would then require an answer at left guard.
Some believe that Tyler should be kept at guard and that a non-Tyron option at tackle should be found and/or pursued. There are merits to each line of thought, but assuming that Tyler would play left tackle is certainly not out of the question.
NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah made this same assumption in his latest mock draft as he noted that Tyler Smith might be in line to play tackle in 2024. Interestingly though, he seems to believe the other tackle spot is also a point of question.
24. Dallas Cowboys
Tyler Guyton: Oklahoma · OT · Senior
With Tyron Smith headed for free agency, the Cowboys can have 2022 first-rounder Tyler Smith man one tackle spot while Guyton takes the other.
Jeremiah has the Cowboys taking Oklahoma tackle Jalen Guyton with the 24th pick, and while that feels well within the range of likelihood, if you asked any fan they would say he would be future left tackle next to Tyler Smith in this hypothetical world.
That is not the implication here. Jeremiah specifically notes that Guyton could take the “other” tackle spot which suggests that Dallas will be playing both he and Smith on the outside, like with Tyler at left and Guyton at right.
Terence Steele has been the Cowboys’ right tackle for the most part since 2020 and has played very well outside of his rookie season. In fact, he was awarded with a contract extension just a year ago.
It is fair to mention that the guaranteed money on Steele’s deal expires after this season so perhaps the thought here is that Guyton could be a long-term option at right tackle. Daniel Jeremiah often says that he builds his board with his eyes but that he assembles his mock drafts with his ears which is his way of saying that a big part of his logic in mocks is what he is hearing from teams in terms of plans around their team. Perhaps he has reason to believe that Terence Steele is not a long-term option at right tackle for Dallas.
That does not have to mean that Steele is off the team, for what it is worth. Remember that less than a year ago Jerry Jones openly pontificated that Steele could be an option for the team at left guard. Maybe there is a world where from left to right the Cowboys look something like Tyler Smith, Terence Steele, TBD, Zack Martin and (in this hypothetical) Tyler Guyton.
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