2022 draft class will have a significant effect on the Cowboys’ 2023 season
The Dallas Cowboys have a great track record of selecting players in the draft. The Cowboys seldom part with draft picks and don’t usually make big off-season purchases in free agency because of their strong faith in their scouting department. This season, the Cowboys are reaping big rewards from their 2022 draft class.
Tyler Smith, an offensive lineman from Tulsa, was chosen by the Dallas Cowboys with the 24th pick of the first round of the 2022 draft. Due to Smith’s severe penalty tendencies during his final collegiate season, the decision was met with harsh criticism right away from both Cowboys supporters and the national media. Still, the Cowboys scouting department saw potential and strength in his physical attributes and raw talent. In Smith’s rookie season, the Cowboys were rewarded with their draft choice. Tyron Smith’s injury forced rookie Tyler Smith to start the season at left tackle, where he made an immediate impression.
Smith has been a member of the Cowboys at left guard for the entire 2023 campaign. Not only has he improved since his stellar rookie campaign, but he’s currently playing at the highest level of any guard in the NFL. He has played 698 snaps in 12 games and given up just one sack. His run-blocking skills, which highlight his size and athleticism, are particularly impressive.
Some analysts thought the Cowboys reached when they selected Ole Miss DE Sam Williams in the second round of the 2022 draft. But defensive coordinator Dan Quinn wanted to make sure Williams would be a Cowboy, so he was locked in from the start of the draft.
Williams has four sacks through 15 games in his rookie campaign with the Cowboys. In addition, he recovered one of the three fumbles he forced. Williams has four sacks through 12 games played for the team in 2023 once more. Williams hasn’t had many sacks this season, but he has had some standout performances for the Cowboys, one of which occurred on special teams.
The Cowboys boast multiple elite players at the position, making them perhaps the NFL’s deepest pass-rushing unit. Williams hasn’t yet had the chance to play every defensive play for this defence. Nevertheless, he has demonstrated glimmers of the skill that the Cowboys saw during his draft process, and any team would be fortunate to have him on their roster. For the duration of his rookie contract, he ought to keep getting better and be given more chances.
Jalen Tolbert, a wide receiver, had one of the worst rookie seasons in Cowboys history. It is difficult to recall another player from the recent past who was selected higher up. In the hopes that Tolbert could make an instant impact in the wide receiver room, the Cowboys used their third-round pick in the 2022 draft to acquire him. But in his rookie campaign, he played in just eight games for the Cowboys, starting just one of them. His meagre two receptions for twelve yards marked the end of his rookie campaign.
