Cowboys fans have long watched Tyler Smith and seen exactly what ESPN just put into print: he’s the best interior lineman in the NFL.
That’s not a small label, either. Smith is already the league’s highest-paid guard, and the résumé backs it up. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler, a second-team All-Pro from 2023, and since the Cowboys drafted him in 2022 out of Tulsa, he has lived up to the billing.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler put together a ranking of the league’s top guards and centers, with NFL coaches, executives and scouts weighing in. Smith came out at No.
- Fowler even drew a comparison to former Eagles left tackle Jason Peters, a player widely regarded as one of the best offensive linemen of the last 20 years.
Fowler also explained why Smith landed so high on the list: "Smith is the league's highest-paid guard, and for good reason. 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."
That last part fits Smith’s game. The numbers matter, but the tape tells the louder story.
For Dallas, having Smith at the top of the interior-line mountain is a real edge. The Cowboys were recently placed in the middle of the pack among offensive line groups, but Smith gives them a difference-maker right where it counts. The source points to Javonte Williams’ 1,201 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns last year as part of that picture, and while Williams deserves credit for his own production, the left guard spot helped open the door.
There has also been some chatter about whether Smith could move to tackle because of concerns about Tyler Guyton being a full-time left tackle. But the case for keeping Smith where he is is pretty straightforward: he’s already elite inside. Even Smith has made it clear that he sees himself as a three-time Pro Bowler at guard, not tackle.
The rest of ESPN’s top three wasn’t a shock. Quenton Nelson checked in at No. 2, and Creed Humphrey was No. 3.
For Prescott, the ranking is another reminder that he has a trusted force in front of him. The source frames it as a blessing for the quarterback, especially in the second half of his career. As quarterbacks get older, trust becomes everything, and Smith being No. 1 means Prescott can feel plenty comfortable with the man next to him.
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