For now it’s a mystery but we will soon learn the permanent home for Tyler Smith
When the Dallas Cowboys drafted Tyler Smith 24th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, we weren’t sure what position he would ultimately play. In general, the plan seemed to be he would be the eventual replacement for Tyron Smith who was getting up there in age and was struggling to stay on the field. With Tyron still around, the team wanted to slide him inside to left guard. Unfortunately, the Cowboys had to break the glass sooner than expected when Tyron got hurt before the season started. As a result, Tyler started all 17 games at left tackle that season.
The following season, Tyron was healthy so the team played Tyler at left guard. Both Smith’s played well with the youngster earning second-team All-Pro honors. It’s impressive that Tyler has already shown he can play well at either position. A 21-year-old protecting the blindside of their $160 million quarterback for a full season was quite impressive, but to follow it up with an All-Pro year his first season at left guard makes us wonder, is there anything this guy can’t do?
Tyron has departed in free agency and now is as good a time as any to put Tyler back at left tackle. However, there’s also some reluctance to move him from a spot where he has shown he can excel. Eventually, this position shuffle has got to stop. Will he move to left tackle or remain at left guard? Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently said what we should’ve guessed, that Tyler is a chess piece for this offense, and where he ends up playing remains up in the air.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on the possibility LG Tyler Smith moves to left tackle to replace Tyron Smith: “I’d say that’s a good, viable thing. …Keep the idea there. Don’t dismiss that idea. …Certainly, he’s potentially — I want to say a great player at left tackle.”
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) March 24, 2024
Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram has also reported that Jones is treating Tyler as the ‘working option’ at left tackle before the draft.
What ultimately makes that decision could be revealed on Thursday, April 25th when the Cowboys make their first-round selection. The Cowboys had formal meetings with several prospects who fall in the Cowboys range at pick 24.
- OT Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
- OT Amarius Mims, Georgia
- OT JC Latham, Alabama
- OT Troy Fautanu, Washington
- OT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
- OT Jordan Morgan, Arizona
- C Graham Barton, Duke
- C Zach Frazier, West Virginia
That’s eight linemen who should be drafted between picks 15 and 40. The Cowboys’ first-round draft pick could certainly come from this list of names. If the Cowboys draft an offensive tackle, they could keep Tyler at left guard. In this scenario, Brock Hoffman is likely the team’s new center, but he would be sandwiched between two All-Pro guards.
If the Cowboys select one of the top centers in this draft, they could slide Tyler back out to left tackle. In this scenario, T.J. Bass could be the team’s new left guard.
The position flexibility of Tyler Smith allows the Cowboys to go either direction. This means we likely won’t know where Tyler will play this upcoming season until later, but pick 24 should provide a huge clue.
Moving him back and forth is less than ideal, but it’s still early enough in his career that there’s plenty of time to figure things out. Remember, Tyron Smith started his career at right tackle, only to switch to left tackle when they learned that Doug Free couldn’t be trusted to protect Tony Romo’s blindside. By his second year at left tackle, Smith was an All-Pro that continued for four straight seasons (seven if you count Pro Bowls). And soon we will learn from what position Tyler Smith will be earning all his future All-Pros.
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