ESPN’s 2022 re-draft shows Cowboys struck gold in Tyler Smith

The 2022 NFL Draft was a fun time. The Dallas Cowboys had the No. 24 overall pick, and a large contingent of draft prognosticators had them taking an offensive linemen, wide receiver, or even a defensive linemen.

When the dust settled, the Cowboys went with Tulsa OL Tyler Smith, whom it was reported they loved months before the 2022 showcase.

Prospects like Kenyon Green, Trevor Penning, Arnold Ebiketie, Tyler Linderbaum, and even Jahan Dotson in Daniel Jeremiah’s (NFL network) case were all mocked to the Cowboys by analysts during the pre-draft process.

In hindsight, Dotson would’ve gone a long way towards stabilizing Dallas’ receiver room, but he went No. 11 overall to Washington.

At the end of the day, Tyler Smith was one of the NFL’s top rookies in 2022 regardless of position. He filled a variety of roles, including left tackle, left guard, and right tackle, and didn’t endure as many growing pains as folks expected.

Just how impressive was Smith in Year 1? He went No. 6 overall (!) as the first offensive linemen off the board in ESPN’s 2022 re-draft (subscription required).

https://twitter.com/ESPNNFL/status/1623067834682155008

Cowboys OL Tyler Smith goes No. 6 overall in ESPN’s 2022 re-draft

Will McClay deserves yet another round of applause. Incredibly, Smith was the seventh offensive lineman off the board last April.

Ikem Ekwonu (Panthers, No. 6 overall), Evan Neal (Giants, No. 7 overall), Charles Cross (Seahawks, No. 9 overall), Kenyon Green (Texans, No. 15 overall), Zion Johnson (Chargers, No. 17 overall), and Trevor Penning (Saints, No. 19 overall) were all drafted before the Cowboys made Smith the No. 24 overall pick.

And Smith was better than them all.

Penalties were a problem for Smith, as he racked up 13, per PFF. That can be attributed to him playing a full-time role as a 21-year-old rookie, and playing three different positions on the line. Further, Smith didn’t play left guard — the position he was drafted to play — in a full game until the final week of the year.

Viewed as a raw prospect coming out of Tulsa — several draft analysts gave him a second-round grade — Smith looked the part of a plug-and-play top-10 pic as a rookie. He was beat for six sacks and allowed 39 pressures, per PFF, but the eye test is all that was needed to realize he’s the Cowboys left tackle of the future, and maybe the now with Tyron Smith’s future in question.

That Smith is widely viewed as the best offensive linemen from the 2022 class is a testament to the work of McClay and the Cowboys entire scouting department. Folks are quick to jump the gun in terms of critiquing draft picks (it comes with the territory), but McClay and company have proven time and time again over the years that they deserve the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the draft.

The Cowboys got a potential top-five pick with one of the last selections of the first round. That’s deserving of a victory lap.

3 contracts the Cowboys should restructure to save cap space

The Cowboys are $7 million over the cap at the start of the offseason. Here are three contracts they could restructure to get well under the salary cap.