Dallas City News

Over the weekend, we learned that veteran Tyron Smith may not be returning to the Dallas Cowboys and is set to hit the open market. Losing the cornerstone of their offensive line for the last decade and a half would be a little unsettling and would mean taking steps to replace him.

The Cowboys are in luck as this year’s draft features a very good class of offensive tackles. There’s a very good chance one of the nation’s top offensive tackles falls right into the Cowboys’ lap at pick 24 in the first round. The Cowboys are aware of this and could be preparing for such as six of the eight tackles they had a formal interview with at the Combine are all projected to go late-first or early-second round of the draft. Today, we’ll take a look at those six players and see how they performed during combine testing on Sunday.

Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State

Combine results:

• 40-Yard Dash = 5.13
• 10-Yard Split = 1.77
• Vertical Jump = 32”
• Broad Jump = 9’ 3”

It might be a little optimistic to think this Beavers blocker might still be there at 24, but as a fellow Oregon State alum, I’m certainly going to be holding my breath for it. Fuaga is a large man who moves very well. His mechanics were on display as all his movements were unblemished. With his combination of size and speed, he’s everything you want in an edge protector.

J.C. Latham, Alabama

Latham suffered an ankle injury on the final play of the Rose Bowl game against Michigan. He chose not to participate in the 40-yard dash or the jumping drills, but he did showcase his movement in a couple of workouts. At 6’ 6” and 342 pounds, Latham is a big man and he moved pretty well in the wave drill showing a nice reaction time and good change of direction. The ‘Bama blocker looked the part and remains a top offensive lineman prospect in this draft.

Amarius Mims, Georgia

Combine results:

• 40-Yard Dash = 5.07
• 10-Yard Split = 1.78
• Vertical Jump = 25.5” (Tied for 5th worst)
• Broad Jump = 9’ 3”
• 20-Yard Shuttle = 4.33 (2nd best)

Guys his size aren’t supposed to run this fast. His 5.07 time was quite impressive for a 6’ 8”, 340-pounder. His 20-yard shuttle time was equally impressive as it was the second-fastest time of all 65 of the offensive linemen who tested on Sunday. As a frame of reference, that’s the same short shuttle as Joe Mixon.

Unfortunately, Mims pulled up lame on his second attempt of the 40-yard dash after pulling his hamstring. Still, it was an impressive day for the Bulldog blocker. He was already on the fringe of where the Cowboys pick but might’ve pushed himself higher after that performance.

Troy Fautanu, Washington

Combine results:

• 40-Yard Dash = 5.01 (8th best)
• 10-Yard Split = 1.71 (Tied for 5th best)
• Vertical Jump = 32.5”
• Broad Jump = 9’ 5” (Tied for 10th best)

There’s a lot of discussion about where Fautanu will play at the NFL level as this Husky tackle may need to slide inside to guard if he’s not up to the task. However, nothing he showed on Sunday would indicate him having a problem outside. His speed numbers were great and he exhibited excellent footwork in all the running drills. For a 314-pound linemen, he looked light on his feet.

Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma

Combine results:

• 40-Yard Dash = 5.19
• 10-Yard Split = 1.76
• Vertical Jump = 34.5” (5th best)
• Broad Jump = 8’ 11”
• 3-Cone Drill = 7.5
• 20-Yard Shuttle = 4.71

The 6-foot-8 Sooner tackle didn’t run as fast as expected in the 40, but he redeemed himself in some of the other running drills showing smooth movement. His agility looked good as he posted a nice 3-cone time. He got off the snap well with a solid 10-split time. It was a solid showing for Guyton as he should continue to remain in that late-first-round range.

Jordan Morgan, Arizona

Combine results:

• 40-Yard Dash = 5.04
• 10-Yard Split = 1.7 (4th best)
• Vertical Jump = 28”
• Broad Jump = 9’ 2”

Morgan had a relatively quiet day as he finished middle of the road in most of the drills. He did show nice explosiveness with the fourth-best 10-split of anyone at the combine. He still projects to be a late-first or possibly early-second-round pick and nothing he did on Sunday did much to change that.

Which of these offensive tackle prospects impressed you the most? Which one are you hoping falls to the Cowboys at 24?