4 takeaways from the Cowboys’ OTAs and minicamp practices

4. First-rounder Tyler Smith looks the part

After hearing all of the negative comments and media attention over his selection by the Cowboys in the 2022 NFL Draft, Tyler Smith is now showing people why Dallas’s choice to take him in the first round was a good one.

Smith needed to come out and prove the doubters and naysayers wrong, and he’s doing just that. Taking reps at both left tackle and left guard, he’s shown his capacity to learn two positions at the same time and also proved how physical he can be on the field.

This rookie isn’t going to be a push over and right now he’s in a battle with veteran Connor McGovern for the starting left guard position. We should get a better feel for who has the upper hand on the starting role once training camp starts and we see them both in preseason game action.

In the meantime, Smith looks the part for the Cowboys, who just can’t seem to miss lately when they take offensive lineman in the first round of the draft. The sky’s the limit for this rookie offensive lineman. If all the positive talk is valid, we could see this offensive line return to form a lot faster than we anticipated.