Dallas Cowboys: Where would Tyler Smith go in a 2022 redraft?

The Dallas Cowboys raised some eyebrows when they selected Tulsa left tackle, Tyler Smith, with the 24th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Smith didn’t land on many first round big boards leading up to the draft, and when Dallas went on the clock, a few value players still remained on the board.

Insiders know, Smith was a player the Dallas Cowboys honed in on leading up to the draft. And Dallas’ refusal to address the offensive line in free agency, made offensive line virtually a requirement in the first round.

Note: Dallas was willing to grab a top WR if one fell but alas they did not, so Dallas stuck to the script and picked the best available OL

A recent redraft has Tyler Smith going before Pick 24, thus validating the Dallas Cowboys decision to draft the Tulsa offensive lineman.

Stephen Jones laid out his expectations for Smith from the jump. Tyler was to be a left-side offensive lineman. His future would be left tackle but his present was at left guard.

The Dallas Cowboys largely stuck to the script. They gave Smith snaps almost exclusively at LG in training camp and preseason. Only when Tyron Smith fell to injury two weeks before the regular season, did Tyler bounce outside and snag the LT spot.

Given the situation, Tyler Smith has performed admirably this season. He’s been a good run-blocker and a not-terrible pass protector. According to PFF, Tyler Smith has played 269 pass rush snaps this year and given up 16 pressures.

In the actual draft last spring, Smith was drafted as the fifth OT. In PFF’s redraft, he was also the fifth (Penning dropped and Abraham Lucas jumped up) but this time he was picked 20th overall, four spots before Dallas selected him in real life.

While this doesn’t make him a steal, it does validate the selection by the Dallas Cowboys and that’s something that was questioned quite a bit back on April 28th.

Tyler Smith has survived a difficult situation as a rookie and the Dallas Cowboys recent success wouldn’t be possible without him. It was yet another gamble that turned out positive for the Cowboys this year.

The story is far from written and many of the picks could go up or down based on their development. But for now, it’s good to see Tyler Smith meeting the expectations of a first rounder.  And the Dallas Cowboys draft team, once again, looks smart.