The NFL’s best guards, No. 4: Zack Martin, Cowboys

Were he not locked into a guard spot, the Cowboys’ Zack Martin could take over as a tackle or even at center, because he is that athletically versatile and intelligent as a blocker.

Pro Football Focus’s top-rated pass-blocking guard last season, Martin also just so happens to be a linchpin among a brilliant run game. Heck, Darren McFadden reached the 1,000-yard plateau last season despite Matt Cassel, Kellen Moore and Brandon Weeden combining to start 12 games. Martin is another product of a 2014 draft that has rapidly emerged as a draft of historical proportions when it comes to the guard position. The Cowboys snatched him off the board at No. 14 overall, then plugged him into their starting lineup immediately. Were he not locked into a guard spot, he probably could take over as a tackle (where he played at Notre Dame) or even at center. He is that athletically versatile and, more importantly, that intelligent of a blocker. The Cowboys had no hesitation plugging him into their zone-blocking scheme, nor do they have to worry about him keeping Tony Romo & Co. clean.