Cowboys’ 24-Year-Old Superstar Earns Lofty Ranking From NFL Execs

When it comes to Dallas Cowboys left offensive guard Tyler Smith, all roads lead to him the highest paid player at his position in NFL history.

Whether or not it’s the Cowboys — and how much they pay — is entirely up to owner Jerry Jones.

Smith’s esteem in NFL circles only continues to rise — and so will has asking price — despite his team’s struggles. Just how great he’s been through his first 3 seasons was underlined by ESPN’s annual position rankings, where he was ranked No. 2 among interior offensive linemen in voting from NFL executives.

Kansas City Chiefs center and 2-time Super Bowl champion Creed Humphrey took the No. 1 spot. Smith, 24 years old, was also the youngest player to make the Top 10.

The Cowboys exercised the fifth year option on Smith’s contract on April 21, which would pay him $21.271 million in 2026 without an extension.

Smith is due $2.5 million in 2025 in the final season of the 4-year, $13.8 million contract he signed after the Cowboys selected him No. 24 overall out of the University of Tulsa in the 2022 NFL draft.

“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.”

Smith’s Dominance Apparent From Start

While the Cowboys struggled to a 7-10 record in 2024, they were 12-5 in each of Smith’s 2 first seasons — he started all 17 games as a rookie and has started all but 4 games over the last 2 seasons as he’s been named to his first 2 Pro Bowl teams.

Smith, 6-foot-6 and 332 pounds, will be counted on to take over a leadership role after future Hall of Fame offensive guard Zack Martin retired following the 2024 season.

If the Cowboys stay on their current path of not giving contract extensions until after a player’s fourth season, Smith could be in line to surpass the 4-year, $84 million contract extension signed by Philadelphia’s Landon Dickerson — the current high mark for NFL offensive guards.

Spotrac currently has Smith projected to receive a 4-year, $76.4 million extension.

Cowboys Continue To Draft OL In First 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 Martin retired. It’s not clear why the Cowboys felt the need to draft an offensive lineman in the first round in 2024. Maybe it’s just a lazy scouting department.

The Guyton pick is especially underlined after he seemed lost as a rookie and, within the next 10 picks, Super Bowl hero Cooper DeJean, wide receiver Ladd McConkey (1,149 receiving yards) and interior defensive lineman Braden Fiske (8.5 sacks) all came off the board and all starred for their teams as rookies.