Guard Tyler Smith impresses Dallas Cowboys, reminds Jerry Jones of this Hall of Famer
Don’t be alarmed that Dallas Cowboys first-round pick Tyler Smith, the presumptive starter at left guard, is currently running with the second team behind Connor McGovern.
And don’t be disappointed that Smith got beat in a recent practice by backup defensive tackle Trysten Hill, who used a spin move as a welcome-to-the-NFL moment.
The Cowboys know what they have in the North Crowley grad who is getting used to a new position after playing primarily tackle in college at Tulsa.
And they couldn’t be more pleased with his strength, maturity and potential to live up to expectations and help upgrade the Cowboys offensive line.
The staff from head coach Mike McCarthy on down has been impressed with what they have seen from Smith.
And the veterans have taken notice and have put him under their wings.
Quarterback Dak Prescott is already developing a bond with him, inviting Smith to a couple charity events as his guest.
Smith acknowledged the game is much faster than it was in college, and he is still getting used to it.
What’s also notable is that after getting beat by Hill on the spin move, he didn’t give up another penetration and neutralized the defensive tackle with his strength throughout the rest of practice.
It’s his size, strength and athleticism that attracted the Cowboys to 6-foot-5, 324-pound Smith, and those attributes continue to stand out.
Owner Jerry Jones, speaking at an event to promote Saturday’s Mexico-Nigeria soccer match at AT&T Stadium, compared Smith to Hall of Fame guard Larry Allen in terms of his strength and believes he will help the Cowboys knock defenses back in the run game.
“Not as a player, I’m not saying that,” Jones said of invoking Allen. “But he is strong. We are pleased.”
The comparisons are natural, and they were coming as soon as the Cowboys gave Smith Allen’s No. 73 jersey.
Smith was born in 2001, six years before Allen ended his 14-year career. So Smith had to study up on the formerly unknown 1994 second-round pick from Sonoma State who went on to earn 10 Pro Bowl selections and seven first-team All-Pro honors in 12 seasons with the Cowboys.
Allen overcame a troubled childhood in Compton, Calif., including contracting meningitis and almost dying at 6 weeks old, as well as being stabbed 12 times at the age of 10 and attending a different school in each of his four years of high school.
Smith, who had surgery for Blount’s disease in high school, embraces the comparison and plans to work hard to live up to the legacy.
“I’m a younger guy, so Larry Allen is before my time. But I caught on,” Smith said. “Larry Allen wore that number, and I’ve seen a lot of the adversity he went through early in his life, and I feel like I resonate with a lot of that,” he said. “It means a lot to be able to wear that and carry on that legacy.”
According to Jones, Smith is already on his way.
Markquese Bell
Former Florida A&M safety Markquese Bell has impressed the Cowboys since signing as an undrafted free agent after the 2022 NFL Draft.
He was one of the standouts at the team’s rookie minicamp two weeks ago, and he continued to catch the eye of the coaching staff when the rookies and veterans began working together in OTAs .
Bell had the play of the day on Wednesday when he jumped a pass from backup quarterback Cooper Rush intended for running back Tony Pollard in a goal-line drill. He tipped the ball to himself and ran 100 yards to the end zone before celebrating with his teammates.
He may have gone out of bounds. But the interception was real.
“He’s been impressive,” McCarthy said. “He jumped out at the rookie camp. So, he was very impressive in the Zoom calls leading up and coming in here. That’s all about younger guys just keep stacking success and then they start making plays like that, too. That definitely helps.”
It was a surprise that Bell didn’t get drafted after a standout 2021 season at Florida A&M. He led the Rattlers to a 9-3 record, earning All-MEAC Honors with a team-leading 95 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 5 forced fumbles, 2 sacks and an interception.
Hitting and tackling were his calling card, but the 6-foot-2, 212-pounder opened even more eyes at the NFL Scouting Combine in March when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds.
The Cowboys gave him a $15,000 signing bonus and $200,000 guaranteed on his first year contract to win him over other suitors as an undrafted free agent.
McCarthy said the team envisions him as a hybrid safety/linebacker in their big nickel defense similar to the role Jayron Kearse plays. Kearse led the Cowboys in tackles in 2022.
“That was part of our attraction to him, too,” McCarthy said. “I think you’ve seen what we’ve done with J.K. [Kearse] and the ability of the safeties to play nickel and dime, and he definitely has that ability. That was the conversation we had in the draft room when we were talking about him.”
