Lately the folks at ESPN have been putting together rankings of various position groups across the NFL. This is an exercise they started doing over the last few years, and the idea is that the rankings are built through their sourcing of league executives, coaches, and scouts. Basically this is supposed to be a snapshot of how the NFL is viewed at this moment by people who influence it.
To date the Cowboys have had some appearances. Jake Ferguson, Javonte Williams, and DaRon Bland received some mild kudos at their positions, but Quinnen Williams was the highest ranked so far as he came in sixth at defensive tackles.
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Tyler Smith beat them all, though. He holds the top spot among interior linemen.
Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 25 | Last year’s ranking: 2Smith is the league’s highest-paid guard, and for good reason. 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.
“Rare combination of size, athleticism, strength and finish,” an AFC exec said. “He’s like prime Jason Peters playing guard.”
One knock on Smith: He could stand to play under more control and more technically sound. But his switch from tackle to guard is a factor there.
“He has more flash plays than anybody,” an AFC exec said.
It is interesting to see Smith draw Jason Peters comparisons as the two were teammates during Smith’s rookie season. That was of course when Tyler was playing left tackle for the majority of the season due to Tyron Smith’s injury. Smith’s versatility in that way is among his more underrated qualities. Recall that the Cowboys even recently kicked him back out to left tackle late last season which spurred question as to whether they were considering going their full-time, but thankfully they squashed that when this offseason began.
Identifying elite offensive linemen, drafting them, and cultivating them has become a specialty of the Cowboys since the selection of the aforementioned Tyron Smith back in 2011. It seems the trend may be even continuing past Tyler Smith as Tyler Booker, last year’s first-round pick, was listed as an honorable mention here.
Tyler Booker, G, Dallas Cowboys: “Strong and athletic with physicality. Struggles a bit with guys that are good lateral movers.” — NFL coordinator
We are not too far away from the Cowboys having the consensus top pair of interior linemen across the entire NFL. It is great to see.
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