The Landry Hat
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Dallas Cowboys: 15 best first-round picks of all-time

By John Buhler

30 JAN 1994: RUNNING BACK EMMITT SMITH OF THE DALLAS COWBOYS FLASHES THE NUMBER ONE SIGN DURING THE COWBOYS 30-13 VICTORY OVER THE BUFFALO BILLS IN SUPER BOWL XXVIII AT THE GEORGIA DOME IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. SMITH RUSHED FOR TWO TOUCHDOWNS AND WAS SELECT
30 JAN 1994: RUNNING BACK EMMITT SMITH OF THE DALLAS COWBOYS FLASHES THE NUMBER ONE SIGN DURING THE COWBOYS 30-13 VICTORY OVER THE BUFFALO BILLS IN SUPER BOWL XXVIII AT THE GEORGIA DOME IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. SMITH RUSHED FOR TWO TOUCHDOWNS AND WAS SELECT /
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Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys
Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys /

Best first-round draft picks in Dallas Cowboys history: 8. Tyron Smith

Of course, we were going to get to this big guy here at No. 8. Tyron Smith, when healthy, might be the best left tackle in all of football. He has been an absolute technician protecting Tony Romo and now Dak Prescott’s blind side for the last seven years. Dallas made a great draft day choice to take Smith No. 9 overall out of USC in 2011.

That draft class was loaded, or at least outside of the quarterback selections. Nine of the first 11 picks in that draft have made it to a Pro Bowl, with the exception of failed starting quarterbacks Jake Locker and Blaine Gabbert. Smith made his first trip to the Pro Bowl in 2013 and has earned that honor every year since then.

For three straight years, Smith was a First-Team All-Pro from 2014 to 2016. He earned a Second-Team All-Pro nod in 2013. To date, Smith has played in and started 105 games on the Cowboys offensive line at left tackle. He will be 27 years old during almost the entire 2018 NFL season.

While that 2011 NFL Draft was loaded at the top with perennial Pro Bowlers like Cam Newton, Von Miller and Julio Jones, the Cowboys’ selection of Smith set in motion a new philosophy of team building in Dallas. The Cowboys are absolutely filthy on the offensive line. Smith is a huge reason for this and will be key hopefully in the Cowboys’ future runs to the Super Bowl. It’s been a while.

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