How can the Cowboys fill the shoes of injured Pro Bowl LT Tyron Smith?

With left tackle Tyron Smith out for months with a torn left hamstring, the Cowboys have a huge hole to fill. According to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, Dallas' top options are Josh Ball, Tyler Smith and Matt Waletzko. None of them has played left tackle in a regular-season NFL game.

When they drafted him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Cowboys hoped Tyler Smith eventually would succeed Tyron Smith.

“We’ve played a lot of games with Tyron. Not as successfully as we do with him,” said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Thursday’s episode of ESPN’s "First Take." “But in the meantime we’ve got a guy named Tyler Smith who can come on the scene.” 

The rookie Smith hasn’t practiced at left tackle since June, mainly lining up at left guard in the preseason. He missed practice Wednesday with a minor ankle injury.

In Tyron Smith's six-game absence last season, Terence Steele filled in for three games. Steele is still on the roster, but he was moved to the right side after La’el Collins signed with the Bengals in March. 

Tyron Smith's earliest return would be in December, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

“Smith should be back for the playoffs,” Jones said, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Wort Star-Telegram.  

In the meantime, the Cowboys will look in-house before seeking options elsewhere, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. Outside options include veterans Eric Fisher and Jason Peters.