What are Dallas Cowboys getting in Tyler Smith? A bully in run game with a huge upside
The Dallas Cowboys decision to take former North Crowley star and Tulsa offensive tackle Tyler Smith with the 24th pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft has received mixed grades from draft pundits and a collective disappointment from Cowboys fans, who were looking for a little more sizzle with a big name from a brand school.
And it’s concerning that team vice president Stephen Jones wouldn’t guarantee that a player the Cowboys had ranked 16th on their draft board and took in the first round would be a walk-in starter at left guard, where the team has a huge hole.
But the Cowboys should be given the benefit of the doubt based on their hit rate when it comes to evaluating offensive lineman in the first round and their recent early draft success.
The last three offensive linemen taken by the team in the first round — tackle Tyron Smith in 2011, center Travis Frederick in 2013 and guard Zack Martin in 2014 — all made the Pro Bowl and were named All-Pros in short order. Futhermore, 10 of the team’s last 12 first-round picks have become Pro Bowl selections.
Time will tell if Smith is going to join that illustrious list or become a colossal disappointment like the two who didn’t make the list — cornerback Morris Claiborne and defensive end Taco Charlton.
But there is no question that the Cowboys like their pick of the massive 6-foot-5, 324-pound Smith and they love his upside potential.
He will compete with Connor McGovern for the starting job at left guard and be groomed as a future replacement for Tyron Smith at left tackle. “He’s a big, athletic, physical man that’s going to play in a big, athletic, physical league, and that’s what we liked about him,” said Will McClay, Cowboys vice president of player personnel.
With just four full seasons on the offensive line after beginning his career in high school on the defensive line, Smith is considered raw and inexperienced. But his youth — he just turned 21 on April 3 — is considered a plus because he has room to grow and develop his technique.
Smith’s strengths
And what he already does possess in raw power, strength to go along with his nasty demeanor are things that cannot be taught.
In the running game, Smith is considered to be a bully who blocks defenders out of the frame, and he rarely gets beat in the passing game.
“You look for the traits, and then you look for the ability on tape, and he showed those,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “He’s a first-round type player capable of competing in this league, and we were excited about that and him being local. And the temperament that he plays with, and being young and getting the growth and the potential, and that’s all important, too.
“I think the biggest thing, and I think we are all saying it, is that he has a tremendous ceiling,” the coach added. “He is a young man — he’s what, 20 years old? 21? He has a tremendous ceiling and we are excited about that.”
What the Cowboys are also getting in Smith is a highly motivated individual and an extremely hard worker, who’ll play with a chip on shoulder.
Smith believes he was under recruited out of high school. He was committed to Abilene Christian before taking a late offer from Tulsa. He used that disrespect as motivation in college and plans to keep it in the NFL.
“It definitely comes from my family and my upbringing,” Smith said of his work ethic. “My mom, she instilled it into us at an early age just to have that work ethic, and that simple responsibility will get you where you want to go. Coming out of high school, I felt like I was under recruited. I didn’t get to play for any Texas colleges.
Having to go through that and just getting to Tulsa and being blessed with that opportunity was so huge for me. I wanted to make every college who passed on me or thought I wasn’t good enough was sorry with their decision …with the way I attack the work and the way I attack my play.”
Smith said his physical style of play and demeanor comes from being a former defensive lineman. But the Cowboys say he is also a very intelligent player who impressed offensive line coach Joe Philbin with his work on the chalkboard and film study during the pre-draft process, McCarthy said.
“I want to be nasty and physical, and I want to dominate,” Smith said. “Moving over to the offensive line, I wanted to keep that part of my game. I never wanted to give it up. I don’t believe in passive blocking, and as an offensive lineman, we’re attackers.”
The Cowboys can’t stop talking about his nasty and physical style of play, which invokes memories of former Pro Bowl tackle Erik Williams from the Super Bowl teams of the 1990s.
“He brings that to the table, Smith does,” Jones said. “That was the top of the redeeming qualities. One of many. That is a big part of why we liked him.”
Smith’s weaknesses
The Cowboys also believe their first-round draft pick is very coachable, which is why they are not concerned about his mistakes in technique and penchant for penalties that he had in college.
According to scouting reports, he played too high at times and had poor hand placement. And when did get beat off the edge from a raw speed rush, or from his own poor hand placement, he had a bad tendency to grab onto the defender and draw a holding penalty.
In 12 games at Tulsa last season, Smith drew 12 flags, which was third-most among offensive lineman in the FBS. He committed seven fouls in 14 games during the two previous seasons.
But, as a late developing offensive lineman, he doesn’t know how to use his hands yet. And learning technique and where to put your body can help fix his holding issues. It can be coached out.
“Some of his mistakes are of an aggressive nature,” McCarthy said. “You’d rather be dealing with combative [penalties] that he can learn from.”
Said Jones: “When you talk about Tulsa, you think, well, the level of competition, but I think there are a lot of things our coaching staff can do to help him quickly. He is a very intelligent young man, and I think he will pick it right up. He is going to have top-notch coaching, I feel very confident in that.”
And Smith is ready to learn.
He knows he’s still a work in progress. Smith played in four games, starting two, as a freshman at Tulsa in 2019 before redshirting. He earned a full-time starting role at left tackle in 2020, earning some freshman All-America mentions.
Smith started 12 games at left tackle as a redshirt sophomore in 2021, before declaring early for the draft.
“I’m willing to just take the coaching and get better every day,” Smith said. “I feel like the work is going to speak for itself at the end of the day. I feel like it’s part of the process for sure. I’m always on the grind. I’m always working every day.
“I feel like working with guys like Tyler Smith and Zack Martin is only going to get me better every day as well. I’m going to constantly be working and accepting coaching so I can get where I need to be.”
This story was originally published April 29, 2022 at 1:00 AM.
