The Dallas Cowboys have some big choices to make before the 2024 NFL Draft later this month. One of the biggest questions they have to answer is how they’ll replace long-time starting left tackle Tyron Smith. In 2022, when Smith suffered a severe leg injury, the team opted to try rookie first-rounder Tyler Smith there. It worked well, but once the veteran returned to full health, he returned to left tackle.
Tyler Smith had a standout year at left guard this season, which has him quite content in his position. He earned second-team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career and made the Pro Bowl as well. On The 8th Round Podcast this week, Smith opened up about how comfortable he is at guard, but admitted he’d do whatever the Cowboys want – including moving back to tackle.
“I’m coming off a really good year at guard,” Smith said. “I’m feeling really comfortable at guard. I kind of like how the continuity is right now. I’m willing to do whatever it takes, y’all, and I’m able to do whatever it takes. We’ll see what the future holds. Obviously, stay ready for anything but for right now, I’m the starting left guard of the Dallas Cowboys.”
Cowboys hesitant to move Tyler Smith
If it comes down to head coach Mike McCarthy’s call, the young guard will stay right where he is in 2024. The team could draft a high-round tackle, saving them the hassle of shifting the current lineup too much. They’ll also need to consider drafting a center after the departure of Tyler Biadasz.
“Tyler Smith will take another step. We’ll keep him at guard right now, see how it unfolds, but I thought we took a big step,” McCarthy said at the NFL’s Annual League Meeting last month. “If you look at the makeup of our offensive line last year where our younger players (were) backups and got to play too. I mean, you can put Brock (Hoffman) in the same category; he’s been here and no one was as close to Tyler Biadasz as he was. So I think that’s a natural step for him to step in there and we’ll continue to grow. But we definitely do want to continue to add talent and depth to that room.”
Tyler Smith was just the latest success the Cowboys have had drafting an offensive lineman in the first round. Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, and now Tyler, should gave the front-office confidence in taking one again this year. They have the No. 24 overall pick and seem to be considering the possibility based on their top-30 visits.
Tackle/center Graham Barton, Oregon star Jackson Powers-Johnson, Pitt tackle Matt Goncalves and Oregon State standout Taliese Fuaga are all on the visit list. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. mocked Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton to Dallas in his latest mock draft.
More must-reads: