Cowboys Tyron Smith gets vote for top OT, lands in ESPN’s top-10 ranking
The Dallas Cowboys sat at the No. 9 slot in the 2011 draft and had a decision to make. After missing the playoffs for the second time in three years and beginning their first offseason under head coach Jason Garrett, they had to decide whether they were looking to make an impact on offense or defense. USC’s Tyron Smith edged out Wisconsin’s J.J. Watt for the brass, and the offensive tackle has been a staple on their depth chart ever since.
Following a rookie season at right tackle, Smith has now spent the last decade manning the left tackle spot. And he continues to do it at a high level, not just outranking his peers consistently, but outlasting most of his star-studded classmates. Cam Newton, Patrick Peterson, Marcel Dareus, Julio Jones, Aldon Smith and Watt were all drafted in the top 11 picks along with Smith and Von Miller, and only the latter two are still performing at high levels if still playing at all. In fact, Smith’s performance was so impressive that in just 11 games in 2021, one NFL evaluator still saw fit to name him the best tackle in the game in ESPN’s latest top-10 ranking.
Smith ended up being ranked fifth overall in the combination poll and scoring system.
Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: Out of top 10
Age: 31 | Last year’s ranking: 9Smith spent 2021 reminding us all what happens when he’s healthy: Defenders get thrown around. In 11 games played, Smith posted the highest Pro Football Focus rating of his career at 91.9, and his 78.3% run block win rate was No. 7 among tackles. He’s known to have two of the heaviest hands in the modern NFL, which helps for clubbing pass-rushers off the play.
“I know he’s old and injured, but I don’t care,” said an NFL coordinator who voted him No. 1. “He’s still the best. … Athleticism and strength accented by vet savvy and toughness.”
Smith last played a full NFL season in 2015. But that’s OK for Dallas, which has an elite tackle on a major discount. Smith has two years left on an eight-year, $97.6 million deal. The payout of $12.2 million per year ranks 25th among tackles.
It’s now been six seasons since Smith was able to suit up for a full season’s compliment of games. During that stretch he’s never played more than 13 and been as low as two, in 2020. But when he’s on the field, he is still one of the best the league has ever seen, almost assuredly earning a spot in Canton one day. An eight-time Pro Bowler and twice-named First-Team All Pro has dominated opponents for years. The Cowboys simply have to find a player capable of filling in during the games Smith is assured to miss.
They feel like they’ve done that in selecting Tulsa’s Tyler Smith in this year’s first round. Smith will start out playing left guard, but he has taken snaps at tackle to prepare him to eventually take over for the elder Smith. That could happen as early as some missed games this upcoming season.
In the meantime, Tyron Smith will continue to give edge defenders fits, and it doesn’t look like he’s going to stop being a menace anytime soon.
