The Dallas Cowboys have a major decision coming up with the 26th overall pick of the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Over the years, Dallas has had their equal share of hits and misses in the first round. Their 2022 selection, offensive lineman Tyler Smith, appears to be working out great as they prepare for him to start at right tackle in 2023.
However, the team is being labeled the “worst” possible landing spot for another lineman, although Georgia defensive end Nolan Smith plays on the opposite side of the ball. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox recently shared his take on Smith and the Cowboys.
“For starters, while Dallas does use a three-man base defensive front, the Cowboys are rarely in a base formation,” Knox explains. “The other issue with this potential pairing is that Smith isn’t well suited to provide linebacker depth behind, say, Leighton Vander Esch—who is a solid sideline-to-sideline defender but who has missed 17 games over the last four seasons.”
Essentially, the argument is that Smith will be playing in a position unfamiliar to him. While he is an edge rusher through and through, his experience has primarily been in a 4-3 setup which could leave him with a lot of work to just adjust to new responsibilities.
Smith Stars for Georgia
As a member of the back-to-back national champions, Smith has been a key factor in a dominant Georgia defense. There are almost too many names to count between the 2021 and 2022 players who are heading to the NFL, and Smith is just one of the latest.
But anyone who has watched the Bulldogs know that he has serious talent. Even as a freshman, Smith was earning snaps and contributing while doing so. Sports Reference shows he had 5 sacks over his first two seasons despite not playing a majority of snaps.
In Georgia’s 2021 title campaign, Smith broke out. The edge rusher totaled 4.5 sacks, 8 tackles for loss and threw in an interception. He added another 3 sacks and seven TFLs in 2022 despite playing just eight games.
There’s no question that Smith has all the tools to exceed at the NFL level, but he just may not be the right fit for the Cowboys.
Cowboys, Giants Talking to TE Prospect
While Dallas may or may not consider Smith, they are at least potentially interested in a new tight end in the 2022 NFL draft. One of their latest prospect visits with East Carolina star TE Ryan Jones shows that.
Heavy’s senior NFL reporter Matt Lombardo stated that the Cowboys and multiple other teams have been chatting up the 6’3″ pass-catcher.
“Big-bodied #EastCarolina TE Ryan Jones has been in HIGH demand, drawing interest and multiple conversations with the #Giants, #Cowboys, and #Bills, per sources. Jones, 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds, caught 41 passes for 413 yards and 4 TDs in 2022,” Lombardo wrote on April 14.
Dallas let Dalton Schultz leave for the Houston Texans after a year on the franchise tag, so the expectation is that they’ll add a new option to the tight end group. However, the Cowboys got solid results from 2022 rookies Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot, so drafting a TE early is not a lock.
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Cowboys Named ‘Worst Landing Spot’ for Up-and-Coming Georgia Star