Cowboys’ Tyler Smith addresses possible position change

The Dallas Cowboys are back in Oxnard, California, for training camp, and there has been some shuffling in the offensive line. At the center of the mystery is All-Pro offensive lineman Tyler Smith.

While he has solidified himself as one of the elite interior blockers in the league, questions are swirling about whether he will stick at left guard or bump outside to left tackle for the 2026 NFL season.

According to Jon Machota via X, formerly Twitter, the organization prefers to keep their young star on the inside, though he undeniably possesses the traits to anchor the blindside. When reporters asked Smith about a potential position change, the 25-year-old phenom kept his cards close to his chest.

“We’ll see what happens,” Smith said. “Ultimately, (Brian Schottenheimer) makes those decisions. Wherever I line up, I’m going (to play) to the best of my abilities.”

The ambiguity stems from the current state of the Cowboys’ offensive tackle room. Former first-round pick Tyler Guyton and backup Nate Thomas are currently battling for the starting left tackle job. However, injuries forced Smith to slide out to tackle late in the 2025 season, proving his immense value as a versatile chess piece.

Regardless of where he lines up, Smith remains a dominant force. During his stellar 2025 campaign, he started 16 games and logged a massive 1,110 offensive snaps. Opposing defenders found almost no success against him in the passing game. Across 700 pass-blocking snaps, Smith allowed just three sacks and surrendered zero quarterback hits, earning a rock-solid 73.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer has emphasized putting the five best linemen on the field to protect star quarterback Dak Prescott. If that means asking a premier left guard to transition outside, Smith is clearly ready to answer the call. For now, Cowboys fans will have to wait and watch as training camp battles unfold.