Cowboys 1st-Round Pick Tyler Smith Overcame 'Blount's Disease' - Incredible Story
FRISCO - Fresh off a gut-wrenching playoff loss and the departures of several starters this offseason, the Dallas Cowboys obviously aren't perfect.
And speaking of "imperfect'' ... the before-Dallas picks in this NFL Draft didn't quite go as the Cowboys wished. So ...
In what could be called a "wipeout'' scenario, Dallas used pick No. 24 on Tulsa offensive lineman Tyler Smith.
COO Stephen Jones swore there are no gaping roster holes that desperately have to be filled in this NFL Draft. ... and owner Jerry Jones on Thursday night swore this wasn't "wipeout'' at all, and that Smith was the No. 16 guy on Dallas' board.
An exaggeration? A Cowboys source not named "Jones'' tells CowboysSI.com that while he won't confirm the "No. 16' claim, "We had Smith rated high. Really high.''
Said Stephen at Tuesday's pre-draft press conference at The Star, "I wouldn't say we have any 'musts' left."
But in fact, Smith represents the filling of a need ... and a heckuva story, too.
All of this doesn't mean Dallas is happy about the semi-"wipeout'' scenario that unfolded here inside The Star on Thursday. But Smith terms himself "athetically gifted'' and he comes with a nasty streak.
"That's my motto,'' Smith said of his nastiness.
But the receivers and the offensive linemen flew off the board before Dallas' spot at No. 24. So Smith comes aboard in a way he termed "indescribable'' ... which is a word that fits the fact he has overcome Blount's Disease, which as a youngster left his legs bowlegged - and put him in leg braces for much of that time.
The Cowboys seemingly needed urgent help along the offensive line, at receiver and pass-rusher. Seemingly.
So they got that.
Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports
Since 2010 the Cowboys have drafted nine All-Pro players - Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, Ezekiel Elliott, Zack Martin, Travis Frederick, DeMarco Murray, Tyron Smith, Sean Lee and Dez Bryant - more than any other NFL team. The 49ers are next with seven players; five other teams have drafted six.
Long-term draft success. A division title in 2021. But ... no "musts"? Tyler Smith, in truth, fills a "must.''
