One of the biggest discussions for the last month or so has been what exactly the Cowboys plan to do with their offensive line. It’s a multi-tiered argument, ranging from what’s best for the development of some players to what’s best to try and win a championship this year. It includes ancillary arguments about just how much a team needs to invest in a line via draft and free agency pedigree and what’s an acceptable amount of room between good enough and elite.
One things for certain, though. The line may have long-term pieces, but it’s not a long-term fixture. Dallas hasn’t declared what it will do with Tyler Smith as a permanent placement and their other two starting options at tackle are under contract for just one year. So when Touchdown Wire did their latest 2024 mock draft, it’s not surprising offensive tackle rose to the top of the list for the Cowboys.
Picking No. 24 thanks to PFF’s Mock Draft Simulator, the Cowboys were assigned Kingsley Suamataia out of BYU. Suamataia is currently just 20 years old and stands 6-foot-6 and weighs in at 325 pounds.
He entered college as a five-star recruit but first attended Oregon before transferring to the Cougars. Playing right tackle in 2022, Suamataia has moved to the left side for 2023 to replace Blake Freeland.
“I prefer left tackle, but I could play any one of them, so it is good,” he told the Deseret News. “Last year, Blake was the veteran there (at left tackle) and so I worked to play whatever position they needed me to play at.”