Cowboys news: Cowboys select offensive lineman Tyler Smith at pick 24

Dallas Cowboys select Tulsa tackle Tyler Smith in first round of NFL Draft - Clarence Hill Jr, Forth Worth Star Telegram

The Cowboys stand pat and take Smith with their first-round pick.

The Dallas Cowboys talked about being aggressive, being contrarians and taking chances in the 2022 NFL Draft. But as the first round unfolded with as much volatility and unpredictably as expected with eight trades Thursday night, the Cowboys stood pat and took Tulsa tackle Tyler Smith with the 24th overall pick.

Smith, a local product of North Crowley, a 6-foot-5, 324-pound mammoth of an offensive lineman who could open his career at guard. He is considered raw but has a mean streak and has a huge upside as the team’s potential left tackle of the future.

The Cowboys came into the draft needed immediate help are receiver and offensive guard with the departures of Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns and Connor Williams to the Miami Dolphins.

How 1st-Rounder Tyler Smith Fits Into O-Line Plans - Rob Phillips, Dallascowboys.com

Now that the pick is official, lets see how the new Cowboy fits into the teams plans.

A full breakdown of the Cowboys’ first-round draft pick (No. 24 overall) Thursday night:

Name: Tyler Smith

Position: Offensive Lineman

College: Tulsa

Height/Weight: 6-5/324

The Rundown: Smith, a native of Fort Worth just up the road from AT&T Stadium, started two years for Tulsa at left tackle and made 23 starts over three seasons, earning All-AAC honors in 2020 and 2021.

How He Fits In: The Cowboys have an obvious need for depth and competition at left guard after four-year starter Connor Williams signed with the Dolphins in free agency. Backup swing tackle is also a question mark because Ty Nsekhe hasn’t been re-signed and Terence Steele, a part-time starter at right tackle last year, is now the projected starter after the club released La’el Collins last month. Smith’s exact role is unclear at the moment — he played exclusively left tackle in college — but he could start off competing for snaps at left guard. With his size (324 pounds) and strength, he could be a nice fit as an interior player.

Kyle Youmans’ Report: As imposing and aggressive of a player in the entire draft class. His technique isn’t always perfect, but his strength is notable and should be a big pull for most teams who need a bruiser on the offensive line. Played left tackle during his time at Tulsa but translates more as a scheme-versatile and positional-flex sort of player.

Cowboys draft Tulsa offensive lineman Tyler Smith with No. 24 pick - KD Drummond, Cowboys Wire

Dive into some instant analysis of the Cowboys 24th overall selection.

The Dallas Cowboys have hopefully added another star player to the fold in the 2022 NFL draft. Saddled with the No. 24 overall selection after being eliminated with in the wild-card round after compiling a 12-5 regular season record, Mike McCarthy, Kellen Moore and the offensive staff get a new toy with Tulsa offensive lineman Tyler Smith.

Smith wasn’t a player initially linked to Dallas, but he surfaced in a mock draft from Mel Kiper, out of nowhere, indicating there was interest. It’s come to fruition and after seeing much of their 30 visit list wiped out when Dallas didn’t move up for anyone, they also didn’t trade back and ended up picking the violent Golden Hurricane.

Smith wasn’t a 30 visitor, but on the phone call with 105.3 The Fan revealed that he did have a private workout with club in the pre-draft processs.

Smith is a powerful offensive tackle, with a penchant for penalties, who will likely slide over to left guard. Perhaps that will be his place until a spot opens up at left tackle with Tyron Smith’s eventual departure. Perhaps they keep him inside permanently.

The Athletic’s Dan Brugler had Smith ranked as a second-round prospect, sixth OT overall.

Dallas Cowboys select Tyler Smith in NFL Draft: Why it’s the perfect pick - Reid Hanson, Sportdfw.com

Given what was available, do you believe this was the best pick for the Dallas Cowboys?

Given the circumstances, the Dallas Cowboys made the perfect pick by selecting Tyler Smith at 24 in the 2022 NFL Draft

After starting the season on a red-hot historic pace, the Dallas Cowboys offense cratered last season. Not only did their rushing game fall apart but Dak Prescott was left scrambling for his life and struggling to get the ball to his All-Star cast of receivers.

It doesn’t take a football genius to see what both issues have in common. The offensive line.

The Dallas Cowboys offensive line was a mess last season. Former second round pick Connor Williams regressed so much he was replaced with former 90th pick, Connor McGovern, midseason. After discovering the grass, indeed, was not greener with McGovern, Dallas begrudgingly flipped back to the original Connor and rode him until their untimely exit in the playoffs.

To make matters worse, their struggles usually came against a four-man rush. Teams learned they didn’t need to blitz to get pressure. They sat back in coverage and forced Dak to dump off short while they crashing down to swallow the play. When Dak did try to look deep, the pressure got to him, killing the play before a receiver even made their break.

The McCarthy/Moore offense requires strong offensive line play and last season’s squad was not cutting it. The Air Coryell portion of the attack needs time for receivers to get open downfield. Dak did not have that. It requires a strong running game as well. Zeke was 39th in the NFL in true yards per carry so it’s safe to say they didn’t have that either.

The Dallas Cowboys offense could draft all the talent in the world and it would matter a-hill-a-beans if the offensive line wasn’t fixed. Drafting Tyler Smith fixes that.

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