Cowboys have the NFL’s best guard duo according to PFF

The Dallas Cowboys do one thing well, and that’s draft offensive lineman. It started back in 2011 when former left tackle Tyron Smith was drafted, and it has lasted for over a decade. Currently, two of their first-round selections over that span, All-Pro guards Zack Martin and Tyler Smith, have formed a wall on the interior to protect quarterback Dak Prescott, and they recently got some pretty high praise.

Pro Football Focus dropped its list of the top guards in the NFL entering the 2024 season this week. Both Martin and Smith were ranked inside the top 10.

4. Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys drafted Smith in 2022 without having a carved-out position for him. He played the entire 2022 season at left tackle, deputizing for the oft-injured Tyron Smith, but slid inside to left guard in 2023 and never looked back.

Smith earned a 72.9 PFF overall grade and garnered second-team All-Pro honors in his second NFL season, cementing his place as one of the league’s best offensive linemen. His 2.8% allowed pressure rate ranked fifth among all guards, and he allowed only 17 quarterback pressures all season.

Smith played mostly at left tackle as a rookie in 2022 due to injuries. He played well, but once he was kicked inside last season, it was clear that guard was the more natural spot for him. Once he gets his hands on a defensive lineman, Smith usually makes short work of them with his nastiness and power.

What’s scary for the rest of the league is that Smith still has a ton of room to grow his game. Specifically, he needs to get his penalty woes under control, having drawn 21 flags in two seasons. However, there’s no doubt that Smith has catapulted into an elite guard in a short amount of time.

7. Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys

After eight years of earning 80.0-plus PFF overall grades, Martin dropped to 73.3 in 2022 and 69.8 in 2023. Despite that dip, he’s still one of the most dominant guards in NFL history. Martin’s 2023 grade still ranked 17th among guards, and his 77.2 pass-blocking grade placed ninth.

From Tony Romo to Dak Prescott, Martin has been the constant presence on the Cowboys’ offensive line. And as long as he’s healthy, he’ll remain one of the best guards in the NFL until he hangs up his cleats.

Martin is the model of consistency. He has nine All-Pro selections in 10 seasons, with seven of them being of the first-team variety. This means he’s been the best or second-best player at his position his entire career, which is astonishing. That’s due to his excellent technique and ability to not only dominate the line of scrimmage but on the second level by creating more running lanes.

When it comes to interior defensive lineman getting pressure on Prescott during passing plays on Martin’s side, they’d have a better chance of running through a brick wall because he isn’t having it. His retirement is certainly on the horizon, but Martin is still one of the most dominant offensive lineman in the league.

These rankings show that the argument can be made that Smith and Martin are the top guard duo in football, and it’s likely to stay that way until the latter decides to ride off into the sunset.