Tyler Smith made quite the impression as a rookie. After the Cowboys selected the 21-year-old tackle from Tulsa in the first round of the 2022 draft, COO and executive vice president Stephen Jones decreed immediately, Smith would “compete on that left side: left guard and left tackle” in 2022.
That’s exactly what Smith did, playing 1,022 snaps at left tackle and 121 snaps inside at guard. His ability to move back and forth between the two spots was no small feat for a veteran, let alone a rookie.
Many will remember, after taking nearly all of his preseason and training camp snaps at guard, Smith was forced to move to starting left tackle after the planned starter, Tyron Smith, landed on IR.
With less than two weeks to prepare and recovering from his own injury, the rookie made the transition outside and held down the tackle spot for 13 weeks. Then the rookie effortlessly moved to left guard, allowing the Cowboys to get their five-best linemen on the field throughout the season.
His versatility has been an asset Dallas does not appear to be taking for granted. It’s allowed the Cowboys to take a fluid approach to filling out their offensive line in 2023 and it’s made Dallas fairly noncommittal with Smith’s position this coming season.