With Tyron Smith no longer with the Dallas Cowboys, there will be a lot of uncertainty at left tackle going into the upcoming campaign. Two realistic choices remain: either select a plug-and-play option at No. 24 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, or switch Tyler Smith from left guard to left tackle. There is currently no indication that an outside free agent signing is imminent.
Smith, a Dallas first-round selection in 2022, has lived up to the hype by developing into an All-Pro type player. Will Smith stay inside now, or will someone else be selected to take Smith’s place and cover Dad Prescott’s ass?
At the NFL Owners Meetings in Orlando, Florida, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy stated, “Tyler Smith will take another step.” “I think we made a major step, but we’ll keep him on guard for the time being and see how things work out. Take a look at our offensive line from the previous season, where our younger players both started and were reserves. Brock Hoffman, for example, fits into the same group; throughout his time here, nobody was as close to Tyler Biadasz as he was. Therefore, I believe it was only fitting for him to take over there, and we will only get bigger. However, we do intend to keep adding skill and nuance to that space.
Dallas’ offensive line will legitimately benefit from a youthful and inexperienced influx for the upcoming season based on the current depth chart. McCarthy stated that Hoffman, who made just two career starts as an undrafted free agent before, is expected to take Biadasz’s spot. Here is how Dallas’ starting lineup would seem on paper if Smith stayed at guard:
Zack Martin is the right guard, Terence Steele is the right tackle, Brock Hoffman is the center, Rookie is the left tackle, Tyler Smith is the left guard, and
Everything about that makes sense. Owner Jerry Jones is still bringing up Tyler at left tackle, though. Although that is conceivable, it contradicts both what McCarthy is publicly stating and what club officials have been telling CowboysSI.com for months.
You wonder, too, admittedly: Are the Cowboys really aware of what on earth they are doing in this situation?
The Cowboys appear likely to address the left side of their offensive line early in this year’s draft. The biggest goal now becomes selecting a left tackle at No. 24 overall if the current game plan is to keep Smith inside at guard.
