Cowboys Guards Confirmed as Best Duo by NFL Peers, But Not Without Criticism

The Dallas Cowboys were the only team to have two guards recognized by the NFL coaches, execs and scouts polled by ESPN.

Dallas Cowboys guard Tyler Smith. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Based on the consensus opinions of NFL coaches, executives and scouts, the Dallas Cowboys have the best guard duo in the NFL.

We can say that because Tyler Smith and Tyler Booker were both recognized in ESPN's rankings of the best guards and centers in the league, a list compiled based on votes of their NFL peers.

Smith landed at No. 1 on the list, while Booker was placed in the honorable mentions section. Dallas was the only team to sport two guards between the top 10 and honorable mentions.

"Rare combination of size, athleticism, strength and finish," an AFC executive said of Smith. "He's like prime Jason Peters playing guard."

"He has more flash plays than anybody," another AFC exec said of Smith.

"Strong and athletic with physicality," an NFL coordinator said of Booker.

We fully expected Smith, a three-time Pro Bowler, to be at or near the top of the list, so no real surprise there. Just another example of the incredible value the Cowboys got with the former No. 24 overall pick.

Booker's presence in the honorable mentions section after just his first season in the NFL is very impressive. If Booker continues on his current trajectory, the Cowboys should have two guards ranked in the top 10 next year.

Booker and Smith given critiques

Dallas Cowboys guard Tyler Booker. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite their respective placements on the list, Booker and Smith did not escape without criticisms.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote that the "one knock on Smith" is that he "could stand to play under more control and more technically sound."

"But his switch from tackle to guard is a factor there," Fowler added.

With Booker, one unnamed coordinator pointed out that he "struggles a bit with guys that are good lateral movers."

The criticism for Smith could be the reason for his high penalty numbers. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith has been flagged 46 times over his four years in the NFL, including 11 in 2025, which was the most among guards.

Smith had 13 penalties in each of his first two seasons in the NFL and then got that number down to nine in 2024 before going up to 11 last season.

We'd love to see Smith clean that issue up, but as long as he's playing like an elite guard, we can certainly excuse it.

As for Booker, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he'll get better with his particular issue. Even with that, he's still performing at a high level and it has not impacted his overall game.