Dallas Cowboys: Taco Charlton being sharpened by iron a positive
Dallas Cowboys first-round pick Taco Charlton has been worked by Tyron Smith at times at OTAs, but that’s a positive experience in the long run.
There are a lot of moving parts to watch with the Dallas Cowboys at OTAs. From Jaylon Smith’s work at the practices, to Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott, to the rookies on defense getting their first taste, it’s all important to replicating their NFC East-winning performance from one year ago. As the first-round pick from the 2017 draft, there has been plenty of talk about defensive lineman Taco Charlton.
Through the first wave of OTAs and at the start of the second, Charlton has been moving around. He’s lined up at right defensive end on the first team, but has also moved inside to tackle situationally. That’s the versatility that helped make the Michigan Wolverines product a first-round pick. With that being said, though, there have been some bad-looking moments for the rookie.
Coming off of the right side of the defense, that pits Charlton against All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith. By most accounts, Smith is arguably the best player in the league at his position. At the very least, he’s in the conversation. As such, he’s made Charlton look quite silly at times.
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In looking at the second week of OTAs, Jon Machota of Sports Day with Dallas News was there as executive vice president Stephen Jones spoke to the media. And on the subject of the Charlton-Smith wars on the edge, he had this to say:
"“You see him use that long arm on Tyron,” Jones said after being asked for his OTA observations of Charlton. “You see him do it in the games in the Big Ten and you hope it translates to our level. Now, is Tyron getting the best of him more times than not out there? Absolutely. But that’s certainly to be expected. Tyron does that to the very best in the business.”"
Jones went on to praise Charlton’s work-ethic in these situations, saying that he’s “bringing his lunch pail” to the filed every day.
While some may be worried about Charlton getting bested in OTAs by NFL caliber tackles, the battles with Smith work for the best of him as an individual and for the Cowboys. The phrase iron sharpens iron is often cliched, but it’s relevant in these situations. As long as he continues to maintain the presence of mind that Jones lauded him for, he’s going to only improve from stacking up against one of the best tackles in practice.
And again, it’s important to note that Smith isn’t just mollywhopping Charlton on every play, but simply besting him. That speaks to the talent of the rookie defensive end/lineman that he has the physical tools and skills to at least be competitive.
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So while the work at OTAs might see Charlton rarely get near Dak Prescott for the practice-sack thanks to lining up across from Smith, that’s not a bad thing. In the long run, Charlton will benefit developmentally. And, frankly, most tackles in the league aren’t the caliber of Smith. So when Charlton does see them in game action, they’ll offer little that he hasn’t already worked against. Thus, the road to success early and for the long-term is certainly there for the first-round pick.