DALLAS — Taking offensive lineman Tyler Smith earned mixed reviews for the Dallas Cowboys on the opening night of the 2022 NFL draft.
The Tulsa tackle was regarded as raw with his technique and also a potential early liability after playing against lower Power 5 competition in college. The selection at No. 24 overall was an investment in the future for Dallas, but the thought was that he may not be an adequate immediate replacement for guard Connor Williams.
If Smith had stayed at Tulsa for his redshirt junior season in 2022, the Cowboys may not have had a chance to take him as part of the 2023 NFL draft due to how well the former North Crowley High School product would have looked to other NFL teams.
"He would be the first offensive lineman picked if he were to enter in the draft after what we've seen this year, because you nailed it, the ability was all in there," NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on a Feb. 24 conference call. "He needed to dial some things back a little bit obviously with the penalties that he had; ultra, ultra aggressive, which led to some balance issues as well."
Smith excised his penalty and balance issues while working at left guard to replace Williams. Eventually the Cowboys had plans to play Smith at left tackle, but there was already another T. Smith protecting Dak Prescott's blindside in All-Pro Tyron Smith.
The younger Smith was thrust into the left tackle job when the elder Smith went down with a hamstring tear late in the preseason. Even with the club signing future Hall-of-Famer Jason Peters as an insurance policy, Smith manned left tackle and gave Dallas options for future offensive line combinations.
"He has played more under control," said Jeremiah. "He played great this year. Yeah, when you look at his combination of athleticism, physicality, all those things, he would probably — and I would feel pretty confident saying he would be the first offensive linemen picked in this draft."
Even if the Cowboys would have had a mediocre season due to offensive line issues, rather than a 12-5 finish and a wild-card playoff win, Dallas would have had a selection in the mid-teens of Round 1. In Jeremiah's second mock draft, Northwestern tackle Peter Skoronski is the first offensive lineman off the board at No. 9 overall. Presuming that is where Smith would have gone, the Cowboys would have no shot at the player they landed with the 24th overall pick last year, unless they were willing to trade up.
Said Jeremiah: "That was a good pick, and a good job of developing him by the Cowboys."
Peters, 41, is not expected to return to Dallas, and Smith, 32, may be one of the Cowboys' salary cap casualties.
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