The Dallas Cowboys have a genuine superstar leading their offensive line, and for the 1st time in his career, 3-time Pro Bowl guard Tyler Smith finds himself topping ESPN’s annual position rankings.
Smith was voted the NFL’s No. 1 interior offensive lineman by league executives, coaches, and scouts on Sunday, moving up 1 spot from last year’s rankings.
At just 25 years old and with a 4-year, $96 million contract signed in September 2025, that bodes pretty well for the future.
“Rare combination of size, athleticism, strength and finish,” an anonymous AFC executive told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “He’s like prime Jason Peters playing guard.”
Peters was a 9-time Pro Bowl and 6-time NFL All-Pro offensive tackle who helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl win following the 2017 season and even spent a season with the Cowboys in 2022.
In a wild variation in ESPN’s voting, Smith took the No. 1 spot but was left off another ballot entirely.
“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.”
Tyler Smith Had Surgery Following Pro Bowl
For some unknown reason, Smith, 6-foot-5 and 328 pounds, decided to participate in the Pro Bowl Games following the season before he underwent knee surgery.
“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 on February 24. “He dealt with the issue during the season, dressing but not playing against the Jets.”
Smith 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.
Cowboys Continue to Draft OL in 1st Round
The Cowboys have drafted offensive linemen in the 1st round at an alarming rate.
Drafting Smith in 2022 can’t be questioned. Drafting guard Tyler Booker at No. 12 overall in the first round in 2025 filled a need after Zack Martin retired, and Booker looked like he could eventually be 1 of the NFL’s elite as a rookie.
Booker earned honorable mention honors on this year’s rankings — a sign he should leap into the Top 10 in 2027.
“(Booker) is strong and athletic with physicality,” an anonymous NFL coordinator told Fowler. “Struggles a bit with guys that are good lateral movers.”
It’s not clear why the Cowboys felt the need to draft an offensive lineman in the 1st round in 2024 with offensive tackle Tyler Guyton.
The Guyton pick is especially galling after he seemed lost as a rookie, then not much better in his 2nd season. Even worse for the Cowboys is that within the next 10 picks, they could have had NFL All-Pro cornerback Cooper DeJean, wide receiver Ladd McConkey (1,149 receiving yards), or interior defensive lineman Braden Fiske (8.5 sacks).
‘Rare Combination’: Cowboys’ $96 Million Superstar Tops List of NFL Elite