Tyler Smith
Dallas CowboysModel Score
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
STM Take
Tier 3 (#21) Pro Bowl in 2023 to tier 7-8 across 2024-2025 reflects the position-switch from guard to tackle compressing the STTM IOL ranking, with Smith now classified as IOL despite playing left tackle. The Tulsa pedigree plus the 2023 Pro Bowl at guard proves the elite ceiling exists at the inside position. The 2026 question is whether Smith holds the Dallas LT job or whether the Cowboys shift him back to guard where the 2023 finish suggests his true ceiling lies.
Smith came out of Tulsa as the Dallas Cowboys' 1st-round pick (24th overall) in 2022 as a projected swing-line piece who could play tackle or guard. He made the 2023 Pro Bowl as the Cowboys' left guard, then kicked out to left tackle in 2024. His STTM career runs tier 3 (#21) Pro Bowl breakout in 2023 at LG, tier 7 (#51) in 2024 in the tackle position-switch year, and tier 8 (#63) in 2025.
Strengths
- 2023 Pro Bowl at left guard plus the 24th overall draft slot establishes a top-20 ceiling at the inside position.
- Position flexibility across guard and tackle gives him rare full-line versatility that few first-round picks demonstrate.
Concerns
- Two-year regression from tier 3 (#21) in 2023 to tier 8 (#63) in 2025 confirms the position-switch to LT compressed his STTM IOL standing.
- Cowboys' broader offensive line transition (multiple high IOL picks 2024-2025) creates the question of whether Smith stays at LT or kicks back to guard.
What to watch: Whether Dallas keeps Smith at left tackle for the 2026 season, or whether a kick back to guard restores the 2023 Pro Bowl-level production.
Tyler Smith Injury StatusIR
Tyler Smith is listed on injured reserve (Thumb), reported Oct 6, with a return date of Oct 8. Source: the official NFL injury report, refreshed daily.
Draft & College
Of the 220 players taken as a late first-rounder between 2012 and 2021, 70% earned a second contract and 72% became starters. The median one started 58 career games.