The Dallas Cowboys took a lot of heat for drafting Tyler Smith as early as they did during the 2022 NFL Draft. And despite not having a disastrous rookie season, outside of penalties, the Cowboys quickly decided that his best chance at success was at guard. And boy, were they right about that.
Smith is, of course, at least an above-average left tackle when Dallas has to break glass in case of emergency, which feels like every year. But he is, to Cowboys fans, in the very upper-echelon of guards in the league, if not in a class by himself. He has proven that for three straight years now.
It was no surprise, then, when Dallas inked Smith to a four-year, $96 million megadeal last September. This contract still stands as the highest average annual salary for an NFL guard, and it has the most practical guarantees by a good margin. This was a major, major investment by Jerry Jones and Co.
But it continues to age like fine wine, especially after Smith's latest feat.
Dallas Cowboys' Tyler Smith named NFL's top IOL by execs, coaches and scouts
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler has been polling NFL executives, coaches and scouts recently in an effort to rank the top players in the league at each position. After being slotted in at No. 2 at this time last year, Smith ascended to No. 1 in the NFL among interior offensive linemen ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
"Smith is the league's highest-paid guard, and for good reason," Fowler wrote. "The 2022 first-round pick has worked his way from offensive tackle prospect to elite guard with three consecutive Pro Bowls. His win rates of 72.1% in the running game and 95.2% in the passing game are quality but not elite numbers. But to watch him is to value him. In a very close race with several others, Smith wins on raw ability."
Duh.
What exactly did those who voted in this poll say, though?
"Rare combination of size, athleticism, strength and finish," an AFC exec said. "He's like prime Jason Peters playing guard."
"He has more flash plays than anybody," an AFC exec said.
Now, Fowler did note Smith's penalty issues, which crept back up slightly last season. But for all that he provides in both the running and passing game, less than a penalty per contest is a more than acceptable trade-off. It's just the cost of doing business with an unrelenting physical beast.
Funny enough, while Smith ended up at No. 1 in this ranking, at least one exec, coach or scout had him off their top 10 list altogether. This is further proof that someone will have a bone to pick with everything, even the NFL's best interior lineman.
If the Cowboys can find a more concrete solution to protect Dak Prescott's blindside, be it Tyler Guyton or Nate Thomas, then Smith could be in for an even more successful campaign in 2026 with less on his plate. Having Smith around makes the left tackle battle less worrisome, though, too.
$24 million per year may sound like a lot for a guard. But Smith isn't your run-of-the-mill player. He is an elite talent who stands out on an offense full of stars, and his latest feat of topping the rankings of the NFL's interior offensive linemen is just more vindication that this investment is paying off.
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