Cowboys draft TU’s Tyler Smith in 1st round

April 28, 2022 at 11:15 pm CDT

Tulsa offensive lineman Tyler Smith is a Dallas Cowboy.

Smith was projected to get drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft Friday night, but Dallas grabbed him at number 24 overall in the first round Thursday night.

He’s the fourth player in Golden Hurricane history to get picked in the first round, but it’s the second draft in a row. Zaven Collins went in the first round last year.

“I’m extremely excited, proud and happy for Tyler and his family. This is a young man that came to Tulsa and has done really good things for our football team, both on and off the field,” said Tulsa Head Coach Philip Montgomery. “He received a little bit of playing time as a freshman and then took over the starting role in 2020 and has never looked back. Tyler is a young man who came here, changed his body and has been very productive on the field. He’s been a leader in the locker room, on the offensive line and in the weight room.

“This is an unbelievable day for Tyler and we couldn’t be more proud and happy of his accomplishments and his future.”

What makes it even more special for the new Dallas Cowboy is that Ft. Worth is Smith’s hometown. He actually watched the draft in DFW Thursday night.