Tyron Smith is still an elite tackle when healthy but he sadly cannot stay healthy. That’s why the Dallas Cowboys land his replacement in this 2022 mock draft
Week 9 was an ugly one for the Dallas Cowboys as they lost 30-16 to the Denver Broncos — although it wasn’t nearly as close as that score suggests.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what went wrong because nearly everything went wrong. However, we can look at one area that was a major issue — the offensive line. That had a lot to do with an injury suffered by left tackle Tyron Smith.
With their All-Pro blindside protector out, Terence Steele manned the left side and La’el Collins returned to the right. Neither one had a great game as Dak Prescott was under pressure constantly. And with Smith continuing to have one injury-filled season after another, that becomes the focus of this 2022 NFL Mock Draft since it might be time to find a new left tackle.
Dallas Cowboys replace Tyron Smith in 2022 mock draft
Dallas Cowboys Round 1 pick: Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State
Tyron Smith has been a great player since being selected in 2011 and he helped change the way this roster is structured. Unfortunately, he hasn’t played a full season since 2015. It was easy to shrug off the three missed contests per year from 2016 through 2019 (even though there were some ugly losses without him) but he missed 14 games in 2020 and is once again sidelined in 2021.
Sadly, it’s likely the end of the road for No. 77 which is why Ikem Ekwonu is the selection here. Similar in size to Smith at 6-foot-4 and 320-pounds, Ekwonu also possesses incredibly long arms and is considered a mauler. He’s also very experienced with three seasons as a starter on the left side.
His addition should hopefully end the issues they have had on the left side due to the injuries and inability to adequately replace their starter.