Ranking the Cowboys’ last 10 first-round draft picks

7. Tyler Smith, OL (2022)

This is when it starts to get tough. The Cowboys have done such a good job in recent years that it becomes difficult to sort through the remaining selections they made in Round 1 — all have been that good.

Tyler Smith comes in at No. 7 due largely to the fact that the rest ahead of him had longer tenures with the team. Having said that, Smith has been a very good player for Dallas and it would be easy to envision him moving up the list before long. But since future projections aren't a major point of emphasis in this ranking, he remains here.

As a rookie, Smith played primarily at left tackle which wasn't the plan. They wanted him to play guard and learn from veteran Tyron Smith but the All-Pro missed the majority of the season due to an injury. He returned in 2023 and Tyler Smith started at guard next to him.

Smith did well in each role, but had one major issue — he was flagged 13 times in 2022 and 13 times in 2023.

He should return to tackle unless the Cowboys land someone in the draft they prefer there. If he cleans up the penalties and proves to be their next long-term answer there, then he could easily improve his stock. If not, his floor is still high which is what you want from Round 1 selections.