Zeke Elliott sounds off on Dallas Cowboys first-round selection of Tyler Smith

Former Dallas Cowboys first-rounder Ezekiel Elliott is a big fan of new teammate, offensive lineman Tyler Smith so far. The No. 24 overall pick will pave the road for the former Ohio State running back, as well as protect the team’s most valuable asset – Dak Prescott.

“From everything I’m hearing and seeing it sounds like he’s a good fit for our team,” Elliott said, via USA Today. “A guy who looks like you can play him at different positions. He looks physical, he looks like he has the type of mentality where he’s going to fit in with the guys already in that room.

“Just the ability to keep (Dak) clean, give him the ability to go out there and go through his reads and throw the ball on time to the playmakers we have outside — that’s big. Establishing the run is big for our team and going to be important for us this year. I think the pick we made in the first round will help us.”

An under-the-radar prospect coming out of North Crowley (Fort Worth) High School in 2019, Tyler Smith quickly developed into an anchor for the Tulsa offensive line. This past season at left tackle, he helped the Golden Hurricane rank 39th in the FBS in sack rate (5.4%).

Dak Prescott took 30 sacks in the 2021 season, which tied for fourth-fewest in the league. The 6-foot-4, 314-pound lineman’s job is to reduce that number in 2022. Dallas is going to pay a big fee for that service. Smith is signing a four-year deal worth $15.1 million with a fifth-year option.

Tyler Smith describes on-field ‘alter ego’

New Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Tyler Smith is letting his future opponents know early that he’s not the same guy on the field that he is off the field. The former Tulsa tackle described an on-field alter ego that is all business at his first press conference with the media after the NFL Draft.

“I wouldn’t almost call it an alter ego, but maybe that’s what it is kind of,” Smith said. “When I get on the field, it’s us versus them, that’s just what it has to be. My job as an offensive lineman is to set the tone and protect the quarterback. The dude across from me, his job is to hit the quarterback and basically try to blow up what we’re doing, so every time I line up across from somebody, I play with a mindset that they think they’re better than me.

“They’re trying to take food out of my mouth, they’re trying to take food out of my teammates’ mouths. At the end of the day, I’ve got guys in this building who are trying to feed their families and it takes all 11 of us to do that. When I line up across from them, I want to set the tone and I want them to think twice about getting up when they go against me, for sure.”