The Dallas Cowboys are going into the offseason with uncertainty surrounding their offensive line.
Among the questions the team must answer has to do with the future of Tyron Smith, the team’s premier left tackle.
Smith, 33, is a free agent who could re-sign with the Cowboys, but whether or not he stays in Dallas … the team needs an offensive tackle.
That’s why CBS Sports has mocked Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu to the Cowboys with the No. 24 overall pick.
“Maybe Tyron Smith will re-sign with the Cowboys, or maybe he won’t,” CBS Sports writes. “Either way, the Cowboys would be well-served to address their offensive line early in the draft. You will hear about his arm length, but we’ve seen players with shorter arms succeed at tackle. Fautanu has the feet to make it work and the strength.”
Fautanu is part of a stacked offensive line class and is the fifth player at the position to come off the board in this mock draft. Joe Alt (No. 5), JC Latham (No. 7), Olu Fashanu (No. 8), and Taliese Fuaga (No. 14) rank ahead of Fautanu. However, all the players above him project strictly as tackles while Fautanu has the ability to play both as a tackle and an interior lineman.
Drafting Fautanu would be reminiscent of when the Cowboys selected Tyler Smith two years ago with the exact same No. 24 pick. Smith played tackle in college, but has mainly played guard for the Cowboys in his first two years in the league. Adding Fautanu gives the Cowboys even more flexibility and solidification for the offensive line moving forward.
