Cowboys top pick lifting ‘a couple guys off their feet’ is blowing Ezekiel Elliott’s mind

Dallas Cowboys first-round pick Tyler Smith knows there are a lot of expectations on his shoulders. He was drafted by a team that’s lost two offensive line starters in the offseason. The 21-year-old also knows that many analysts highly questioned the front office’s decision to select him due to his inexperience and high number of penalties in college.

Smith’s 6-foot-5, 324-pound frame and his identity for being a mauler certainly help his upside, but few people expected him to go in the first round. In fact, Jerry Jones had to literally reveal the team’s big board to prove that the Cowboys wanted the Tulsa product.

The good news is that he’s already starting to prove people wrong. Smith spent his offseason downtime at the OL Masterminds Summit and is taking full advantage of having Pro Bowlers like Zack Martin and Tyron Smith at his disposal.

So far in training camp, the rookie looks strong. Reporters see it, and his teammates do, too. When Patrik Walker, a writer for the Cowboys website, asked running back Ezekiel Elliott about the 24th overall pick, Walker claims Elliott started glowing. The RB1 is excited about the OT.

"“Dude is strong. If you just watch some of the plays and when he just punches a guy — he’s lifted a couple of guys off of their feet just by punching. When he gets his hands on guys, they’re not getting away from him. You can definitely tell he’s a skilled cat, and he’s gonna be good for us.”"

Ezekiel Elliott gives glowing review for Cowboys first-round pick Tyler Smith during training camp

Elliott can already see the improvement since April. The RB1 said he literally noticed that the game is slowing down for the rookie.

Plus, the seventh-year back wasn’t exaggerating. In the video below, you can literally see Smith lift Trysten Hill and pancake him to the ground. Keep in mind that the DT is 6-foot-3 and 311 pounds.

The rookie has had several other pancake blocks during camp, bringing some hope and excitement to Cowboys fans. It’s also bringing a lot of joy to his head coach.

“He’s everything we thought he would be physically. Powerful,” McCarthy said.

Of course, this is just the beginning of padded practices. Preseason games will be a true test for the 21-year-old. But it’s nice to know his veteran teammates and coaching staff are liking what they see.