If you were under the impression everything was OK with Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman and NFL All-Pro Tyler Smith following the season because he participated in the Pro Bowl Games … well you’d be wrong.
On Tuesday, the Cowboys disclosed Smith underwent offseason knee surgery following the Pro Bowl.
“All-Pro OL Tyler Smith had cleanup surgery on his right knee after the Pro Bowl but will be 100% ready for the offseason program, per sources,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote on his X account. “He dealt with the issue during the season, dressing but not playing against the Jets.”
Smith, 6-foot-6 and 332 pounds, was a 1st round pick (No. 24 overall) in the 2022 NFL draft out of Tulsa. In 4 seasons, Smith is a 3-time Pro Bowl selection and earned NFL All-Pro honors in 2023 — a stretch in which he’s also only allowed 12 sacks.
The Cowboys signed Smith to a 4-year, $96 million contract extension in September 2025, making him 1 of the highest paid offensive linemen in the NFL.
High Esteem for Smith in NFL Circles
As is reflected by his paycheck, few offensive linemen in the NFL are held in as high esteem as Smith, who has started all 63 games he’s played in over his 1st 4 seasons.
In ESPN’s annual position rankings before , where he was ranked No. 2 among interior offensive linemen in voting from NFL executives. Smith has played most of his career at offensive guard but also played offensive tackle in 2025.
“The buzz surrounding Smith popped in the voting,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on July 12. “He wasn’t on every top 10 ballot, but most of the votes he did get were for first or second place. One knock is overaggressive (which gets him out of control at times), but his penalties dropped from 10 to two year-over-year, according to Pro Football Reference. Either way, teams can live with Smith’s aggressiveness because ‘if he gets his hands on you, it’s over,’ an NFL coordinator said.”
Cowboys Continue to Draft OL in 1st Round
The Cowboys have drafted offensive linemen in the first round at an alarming rate.
Drafting Smith in 2022 can’t be questioned. Drafting Tyler Booker at No. 12 overall in the first round in 2025 filled a need after Zack Martin retired and Booker already seems like he could be one of the NFL’s dominant offensive linemen.
It’s not clear why the Cowboys felt the need to draft an offensive lineman in the first round in 2024 with offensive tackle Tyler Guyton.
The Guyton pick is especially underwhelming after he seemed lost as a rookie and within the next 10 picks NFL All-Pro cornerback Cooper DeJean, wide receiver Ladd McConkey (1,149 receiving yards) and interior defensive lineman Braden Fiske (8.5 sacks) all came off the board.
None of it has equaled success for the Cowboys recently — they went 7-10 in 2024 and followed that by going 7-9-1 in 2025.
Moving forward, it might be quite some time before the Cowboys draft another offensive lineman in the 1st round. They have a litany of glaring holes on defense and also have 2 1st round picks in the 2026 NFL draft, although there’s definitely a chance1 of those picks gets traded.
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