June is right here, and the Dallas Cowboys are again in motion. Necessary minicamp start this week on the sixteenth, which means we formally have soccer content material again, at the very least in some capability.
Dallas’ roster appears considerably totally different from what it did at the moment final 12 months, significantly on the defensive aspect of the ball. With that thought in thoughts, at the moment we proceed our sequence rating the highest 10 gamers on the Cowboys roster for the 2026 season.
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NFL Awards: 1X All-Professional (2023:2nd crew) 3x Professional Bowl (2023,2024,2025)
2025 Recap: It’s fairly exhausting to consider that Tyler Smith is about to enter his fifth season within the NFL. It doesn’t look like way back that the Cowboys drafted the proficient linemen with the twenty fourth decide within the 2022 NFL Draft. Smith has been considered one of Dallas’ greatest draft picks within the final decade, reworking into arguably the very best guard in soccer.
2025 acquired off to an awesome begin for Smith off the sphere because the Cowboys rewarded the proficient linemen with a four-year, $96M contract extension per week into the common season. Now enjoying on an enormous contract, expectations had been excessive for the previous first-round decide. As he has accomplished nearly his whole NFL profession, Smith lived as much as these expectations and was far and away Dallas’ most efficient offensive lineman.
In 16 regular-season video games, Smith allowed simply 23 pressures and three sacks whereas additionally posting the very best offensive grade (75.3) and run blocking grade (81.1) of all Cowboys’ offensive linemen. It was enterprise as common for the three-time Professional Bowler, and his continued dominance was a key cause for Dallas’ offensive success.
One of many extra attention-grabbing issues to come back out of Smith’s 2025 marketing campaign is what occurred on the finish of the 12 months. In Dallas’ ultimate three regular-season video games, they determined to play Smith at left deal with as an alternative of guard. Regardless of Smith making it clear he was way more comfy at guard earlier within the 12 months, the Cowboys needed to see what he might do on the skin.
To nobody’s shock, Smith was simply pretty much as good at deal with. In these three video games, the 25-year-old posted a cross blocking effectivity grade of 97.7 whereas additionally recording a cross blocking grade of 71.7, greater than 5 factors increased than his season common.
2026 Preview: The late-season place shift actually performs into projecting what issues will seem like for Smith in 2026. Whereas the Cowboys have made it clear they intend to let Tyler Guyton and Nate Thomas battle for the beginning left deal with spot at coaching camp, if each wrestle or are unable to remain on the sphere, it’s truthful to imagine Dallas will take into account transferring Smith again exterior.
Smith has made it clear he’s extra comfy on the guard spot, and you must think about, with how a lot success he has had, Dallas will do no matter they will to maintain him there. Nonetheless, with how a lot is using on this 12 months, there is no such thing as a assure he’ll keep there all season.
Whether or not he’s enjoying at deal with or guard, if wholesome, it’s virtually a assure that Smith can have one other Professional Bowl-caliber season in 2026. This might very nicely be the season that the 25-year-old is known as a First-Group All-Professional for the primary time in his profession.
Prediction: Tyler Smith begins all 17 regular-season video games at guard and is known as a First-Group All-Professional.
