Cowboys left guard Tyler Smith exits practice on Monday of Week 1 with 'hamstring discomfort'

Dallas Cowboys left guard Tyler Smith had to exit practice early on Monday due to “hamstring discomfort,” according to multiple reports from the Star. The Cowboys are in the midst of Week 1 preparations to face the New York Giants on Sunday night.

According to Dallas Morning News‘ Michael Gehlken, the injury to Smith is considered “minor,” though it’s clearly something to watch as the week moves along.

Smith is slated to start for America’s Team at left guard. He played primarily left tackle last season while filling in for Tyron Smith after the All-Pro sustained an injury during training camp.

If the second-year lineman is good to go for Sunday, the Cowboys would have Tyron Smith, Tyler Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Zack Martin and Terence Steele as the starting five.

Things were rocky for the offensive line this summer as they waited for right guard Zack Martin to end his contract holdout. The front office managed to resolve the All-Pro lineman’s issues with his compensation by boosting his pay by $8 million over the next two seasons.

Tyler Smith ready for big Year 2

Smith, 22, is ready for his second season in the league after the Cowboys selected him 24th overall in last year’s NFL Draft out of Tulsa.

He started all 17 games across left tackle and left guard for the Cowboys last season, surrendering six sacks in 1,144 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus analytics.

With a year under his belt, Smith feels a lot more comfortable this time around.

“After getting that first year under my belt, I understand what the expectation is,” Smith said this summer at his youth camp, per Gabriel Trevino of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I’ve gone through camp, OTAs, I’ve been through the season before. Being comfortable and acclimated to what I need to do has helped me a lot in terms of being confident and who I am.

“That first year, I was kind of nervous. Everything was new. Going to a new locker room and some of the guys are like 30, 34. I’m used to being in a locker room with 18-23-year-olds. Getting acclimated with the guys helped me a lot.”

Donovan Wilson ‘close’ to return

As promised, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy provided an update on injured starting safety Donovan Wilson on Monday. Though he said the former Aggie is “getting better” and is “close,” he wasn’t ready to label him officially for Sunday’s game.

“Getting better, had a good workout Friday,” McCarthy said during his press conference. “I’m not ready to put a status on him but he’s close.”

Suffering a calf strain on Day 1 of training camp this offseason, Wilson had a four-to-six-week recovery timeline. He’s completing workouts but the fact that he hasn’t begun practicing full-go with the team suggests he’s out for Sunday versus the Giants.