'Polarizing Pick!' Cowboys Draft 6-7 Tyron Smith Replacement in Mel Kiper Mock 2.0

The Dallas Cowboys seem likely to draft an offensive lineman in Round 1. But will they have to replace veteran left tackle Tyron Smith? Mel Kiper dove in with his mock draft.

The Dallas Cowboys are facing a handful of pivotal decisions this offseason. Quarterback Dak Prescott’s fate will loom the largest, but in all likelihood, he’s going to get paid. That leaves the future of the offensive line as the next order of business.

Center Tyler Biadasz is a pending free agent, as is stalwart left tackle Tyron Smith. Right tackle Terence Steele didn’t do himself any favors, either, as a 2023 pass-blocker.

With a draft full of quality offensive linemen, the opportunity is ripe in Round 1. At No. 24, how the board falls could do the deciding for them.

In Mel Kiper’s recent mock draft, he took a stab at keeping Prescott upright.

Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Amarius Mims (65) and offensive lineman Tate Ratledge (69) against the TCU Horned Frogs during the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium / Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Cowboys took Georgia Bulldogs offensive tackle Amarius Mims with their first-round pick. In doing so, they give themselves the rights to one of more polarizing tackle prospects in this class.

There will certainly be a segment of the media that feels Mims isn’t worth the heavy draft capital Dallas would hypothetically invest. He has never played more than 400 snaps in a season and is the least experienced of the first-round linemen.

However, inexperienced and raw are two different adjectives for a reason. Mims has stood out along an offensive line that won two national championships in three years, even if he wasn’t a consistent presence on them.

“He was limited to just eight [starts] over the past three seasons because of injuries and draft picks in front of him on the Bulldogs’ depth chart. But when he did play, he made defenders look silly,” Kiper wrote. "Mims, 6-7 and 340, allowed zero sacks and just five total pressures across 372 career pass blocks.”

Mims’ small sample size may not detract from his biggest fans, who are optimistic enough to compare him to the class’ top tackles, Olu Fashanu and Joe Alt. While one can argue he didn’t see enough time to endure the cold stretches his counterparts may have, good film is good film, and Mims showed enough of it to warrant consideration.

He also did not commit a penalty on an offensive snap during his time at Georgia, another point in his favor.

“To make room for Mims, the Cowboys could part ways with longtime left tackle Tyron Smith, who’s a free agent, or have (Mims) compete with Terence Steele on the right side,” Kiper continued. “He played right tackle in college but has the talent to play both sides.”

NFL Mock: Cowboys Draft Tyron Smith Successor from OU

Smith’s fate will surely be decided by Draft Day - the club has vowed to try to keep the future Hall of Famer - giving Dallas a more clear picture of its needs up front. But the ability to play on both sides ...  or at least project comfortably to them ... is an ace up Mims’ sleeve. He’s massive, talented, and athletic enough to earn snaps at either tackle spot.