The Dallas Cowboys picked Tulsa offensive tackle Tyler Smith at No. 24 overall tonight, and let’s just say Mel Kiper Jr. was not a fan of the move.
In his review of the selection, Kiper was less than complimentary. He questioned Smith’s technique and said he might not be ready to contribute right away.
Most notably, Kiper called Smith a “walking penalty,” which is bad news for a Dallas team that had a massive issue with penalties last season.
“He’s a penalty waiting to happen,” Mel Kiper Jr. on #Cowboys OT Tyler Smith. Dallas was terrible with penalties last season.@NBCDFWSports pic.twitter.com/hPODR1VuzB
— Newy Scruggs (@newyscruggs) April 29, 2022
Mel Kiper on Tyler Smith “he’s a penalty waiting to happen, he needs to be coached up”
Sweet
— 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶 (@NickSarnelli) April 29, 2022
Mel Kiper just said “bad first step, zero technique, and a penalty waiting to happen”. Great pick Dallas 😂😂😂#GamblingTwitter #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/Y5CfgU7VzE
— Action Jaxson (@actionjaxson100) April 29, 2022
Ironically, Kiper actually projected Smith to the Cowboys in his final mock draft, so he foresaw the pick happening. In his analysis of that hypothetical pick, he was a little less heavy-handed in his criticism.
“Smith would play right tackle in this scenario,” Kiper wrote. “He was a dominant pass-blocker in college, though he can get a little too physical at times; he was called for 12 penalties last season.”
No matter how Smith performs when he does see the field, Kiper’s summation of him on draft night will be replayed for years to come. If he struggles as Kiper predicted, the ESPN analyst will look prescient.
However, if Smith becomes the dependable player the Cowboys hope he’ll be, Kiper could wind up having egg on his face.
The post Mel Kiper’s Reaction To Cowboys Pick Is Going Viral appeared first on The Spun.