Cowboys harness Tyron Smith synergy to protect the edge

It’s always a pleasant sight to see Tyron Smith at the Cowboys facility. For 13 years, it was a regular thing for the Dallas Cowboys, but now, the eventual Hall of Fame left tackle is showing up for a different reason. To teach. It’s not uncommon for a former great to show up at camp and help out, but this is more than just a novelty visit. Smith’s presence has a legit purpose, and it will come in handy.

The former stud left tackle showed up at OTAs to help all the linemen, but there is one player who has a lot to gain from his mentorship. We’re talking about Tyler Guyton, the young kid trying to fill the shoes he vacated.

Smith is an absolute behemoth of a human being. If you went into a laboratory to sculpt the perfect prototype for a modern NFL offensive tackle, you would build Smith. But he’s more than just a specimen of a being. To go along with his flawless frame is a strong mixture of mechanics and a clinical mind. He holds the blueprint for Guyton to follow.

Guyton has the potential to be a great player, but there are some glaring weaknesses to his game. Right now, the youngster can be a little slow to react and spends time playing catch-up, sometimes lunging, sometimes holding. Enter Smith, who has made a career out of a lightning-fast kick slide, jumping out aggressively to square up defenders before they could even think about the edge. Guyton needs to learn how to match that footwork to stop chasing ghosts. Move feet early.

When the footwork fails, he’ll need a backup plan. Smith was not perfect every single snap, and Guyton will not be either. When edge rushers catch Guyton off guard, Smith needs to teach the kid how to drop his hips and anchor against power. Nobody on earth will ever replicate the unfair grip strength that Smith possessed in his prime, but Guyton has plenty of natural power. If the rookie can fix his stance, he can build his own personal wall.

The real ticket to a decade-long career in this league happens between the ears. Football IQ is where Smith turned himself from a formidable force to an unmovable object. He made split-second decisions because he could diagnose defensive alignments and pick up on the subtlest pre-snap tells. Guyton panics way too fast when his first block fails. Working with Smith will hopefully teach him how to maintain his composure and recover instead of letting Dak Prescott get leveled. Read and react. React and conquer.

And while Tyron was a pass-pro beast, he proved his value in the run game as well. Guyton has the athletic tools to be a weapon there, too. Smith used his lateral agility to get downfield and seal off defenders, which is a mandatory requirement in the heavy gap-blocking schemes run by offensive coordinator Klayton Adams. We all remember the highlights of Smith erasing linebackers 20 yards downfield, and Guyton has that same explosive ceiling. Guyton just needs the mental road map to unlock it.

If Guyton can absorb even a portion of the wisdom Smith brings to camp, the young tackle will be much more equipped to deal with the every-week responsibilities of protecting Dak’s blindside. It’s hard to pass the torch, but it’s nice if the torch comes with an operating manual and some hands-on training. And nobody does hands-on better than Tron.