Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images What do you think will be the first major storyline of Cowboys training camp? In a month’s time the Dallas Cowboys will be rocking and rolling at training camp in Oxnard, California. The days of the offseason will feel long in the rearview mirror at that point. We are so close, hold on just a little longer. Early on in camp that feeling of gratitude will wash over each and every one of us. Football being back, even in the limited way that training camp offers, will feel incredible and everything will feel like euphoria. As we all know, at some point the football will take center stage and something important will emerge from camp. For today’s discussion here on the site… we are asking you to predict what you believe the first major storyline of training camp will be. Ideally the first major storyline will be positive, but obviously sometimes it is something of a different kind of variety. What do you think it will be?

Chris Jones-Imagn Images All the Dallas Cowboys news that’s fit to print. Cowboys need dramatic improvement as top NFL offenses prove run-pass balance matters – Reid Hanson, The Cowboys Wire There is a lot of excitement building for how Brian Schottenheimer’s offense will look at training camp, but so much of it still comes down to how much Dallas improves the running game. It appears teams that ran the ball well had an inside track on the postseason. So, the Dallas Cowboys just need to run the ball more in 2025 to increase their playoff odds, right? Not so fast. Running the ball for the sake of running ball does little good for a team’s playoff hopes. In fact, an inefficient ground game comes at the opportunity cost of a more efficient passing game. Stubborn play calling would then actually hurt a team’s playoff chances. Rushing the ball is a tried-and-true pathway to success, provided it’s efficient enough to warrant its heavy usage. Additionally, “heavy usage” doesn’t mean it’s now more predominant than the passing game or even balanced with the passing game. It just means it’s carved out a bigger role than what has been typical in recent years. Based on nfelo numbers for 2024, the Eagles had the highest pass rate in the NFL. Given their success on the ground, it’s hard to fault them for it. Philadelphia averaged +0.056 EPA rushing compared to +0.165 EPA passing. Passing was still more efficient, but the margin was narrower than most teams. Since situations typically dictate run-pass play calling on third downs, RBSDM calculates early-down balance separately. On early downs the Packers and Eagles led the NFL in rushing rate (57.3 and 53.7 respectively). As one may surmise, both teams were extremely successful rushing it on early downs, thus justifying its abnormal usage. The next three teams on the list are evidence that it’s an efficient rushing attack that leads to success instead of simply rushing for the sake of rushing. Tennessee, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh finished third, fourth and fifth in early down rushing rate. They didn’t rush because they were good at it but rather, they rushed because their quarterback play was abysmal, offering negative EPA output through the air. This is a situation a healthy Dak Prescott-led offense has never had since the Cowboys’ passing game has always ranked among league leaders in EPA efficiency. 10) What to expect from Schotty’s offense? – Staff, DallasCowboys.com The Cowboys offense getting their best play makers the ball in a wider variety of ways has been a long time coming, with that pressure now squarely on a first-year head coach. Nick: I think you’re going to see this team run the football a lot more. Yeah, we’ve heard that before with Mike McCarthy but even his track record didn’t suggest that he’d call the plays to run the ball a lot. And that’s pretty much how it turned out as well. But I do think, when you look at Schottenheimer’s history and the fact that his teams have finished in the Top 10 in rushing five times when he’s been the play-caller, it suggests that he will put a focus on that. Ok, so don’t ask me who will be running it – because it’s really a three-man race at this point and I have no clue who’s going to prevail as the starter. It might be a ‘ride the hot hand’ type of situation. But I’m expecting the Cowboys to run downhill as much as possible. The drafting of Tyler Booker is indicative of that kind of style. And when they want to help Dak and the offense succeed, having a solid to good running game is the first start. Don’t forget that Tony Romo’s best season came in 2014 when he finished third in the MVP voting and DeMarco Murray rushed for over 1,800 yards and was the Offensive Player of the Year. In this league, you can do both. Just because Dak is getting $60 million per year doesn’t mean they can’t run it. Kurt: Looks like we should expect movement, disguise and tempo. At least that’s what Schottenheimer has been promising thus far, saying, “I’m a big believer in shifts and motions to distort things. … We’re going to do a great job of marrying our runs and our passes and make those two the same.” And that should include more RPOs and play-action. Over his career, Dak Prescott has completed 72.3 percent of his passes for a 100.6 passer rating on RPO plays. On non-RPO plays, he’s at 66.5 and 98.0, respectively. Likewise, he’s also been better working off play-action. Throw in more motion and the talent Schottenheimer and Prescott now have to work with on offense, and I think it’s safe to say this should be a fun group to watch. The Dallas Cowboys could use some help at 2 positions – Shane Taylor, Inside The Star It didn’t take long into last year’s training camp to realize the Cowboys would be thin at defensive tackle, and they could have the same issue this time around. Defensive Tackle It is Osa Odighizuwa and everyone else at defensive tackle. He is the only guy today that I trust. Defensive ends and pass rushers do not count. In terms of just stuffing up the middle like you are supposed to do as a tackle, nobody else I trust. Especially with how much the Cowboys have struggled to stop the run in recent years. The biggest moves they made were drafting Jay Toia in the seventh round of this year’s draft and adding Solomon Thomas in free agency. Mazi Smith has got to make the biggest leap in the history of mankind or I have a very strong feeling this will be his last season as a Dallas Cowboys. The front office missed on that one bad. The issue is when you look at the free agent market this late into the summer at defensive tackle, the

Chris Jones-Imagn Images Jaydon Blue’s role this season will be interesting to monitor. After the report that Cowboys return specialist KaVontae Turpin was arrested on two misdemeanors, it’s natural to wonder what this could mean for the upcoming season. If he does have to miss any games, who would be the next man up for his work on special teams and offense? While we haven’t seen him in NFL action yet, rookie RB Jaydon Blue makes a lot of sense. With relatively minor charges in this case, Turpin likely will not miss any games at all. If Turpin does have to serve a short suspension, the Cowboys will certainly need a new specialist for kickoff and punt returns. That same logic applies to depth for injury; every spot needs a backup. They may also need someone to step in for significant offensive snaps, not just special teams. It was Brian Schottenheimer, while serving as offensive coordinator, who pushed for Turpin to get more work there. Now the head coach, Schottenheimer’s ascension was naturally assumed to be a positive for an expanded role for Turpin. Jaydon Blue, one of Dallas’ fifth-round picks in 2025, is already expected to get plenty of touches as a rookie. Even if the starting job goes to a veteran like Javonte Williams or Miles Sanders, Blue is still projected to see a large share in the rotation. At worst, it would likely resemble Tony Pollard’s role behind Elliott from 2020-2021. And if Blue proves to be significantly more effective, Williams and Sanders don’t have Zeke’s connection to the front office to preserve their touches. Something that’s emerged from the spring practices is Blue getting looks as a return man. It wasn’t something he did much at Texas, only handling three kickoffs in 2023 and none in his first or final year. But the Cowboys have been working him out there and on punts over the last two months, naturally needing someone ready to handle those duties if Turpin becomes unavailable. Blue makes a lot of on-paper sense for the role. Athletically, he may be the second-fastest guy on the team after Turpin. Whether it’s handling returns or being used on offense in ways that were planned for Turpin, Blue is a logical alternate. He is also guaranteed to be active for every game when healthy, which can sometimes get hairy with more down-roster candidates. A guy like Deuce Vaughn, who is highly doubtful to make this year’s roster at all, only dressed for seven games in each of the last two years. Of course, Blue has to earn the coaches’ trust to actually perform. Whether it’s securing the ball, making good decisions about when to return versus taking a fair catch, reading his blocks, or other facets, there’s a lot more to this than just being fast. But if he can handle the technical side, Blue’s uncoachable traits of speed and quickness will certainly serve him well. If he’s the Day 3 steal that everyone’s proclaiming him to be, Blue getting more touches won’t bother anyone. Sure, he may not be as electric as Turpin. Few in the NFL are, and it’s why he’s generally considered the best return man in the business. But if Turpin does get suspended for any stretch, or just misses time for injury or other reasons, it will be very reassuring if the rookie RB is ready and able to take on that additional work.

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images The Dak Prescott to George Pickens connection is going to be so much fun. Last offseason, the Dallas Cowboys made Dak Prescott the highest-paid player in the NFL. That is a frustrating situation for many people who aren’t sold on what this veteran quarterback can offer them. Whether it’s wilting against stronger teams or underwhelming in the playoffs, many fans have pause on just how far their franchise quarterback can take him. While Prescott has been successful most of his career, things have been a little bumpy in recent years. He’s battled injuries in four of the last five seasons and led the league in interceptions in 2022 despite missing five games. Twice over the last five years, the Cowboys have finished with a losing record. Those happened when Dak’s year was cut short by a season-ending injury; however, the team had a losing record before Prescott went down. Losing their quarterback takes the wind out of the season, but if we’re being honest, the wind wasn’t blowing strongly before he got hurt. The Dak problem has been dissected ad nauseam, and there are several contributing factors. Play-calling matters. How well the offensive line is playing matters. And it certainly helps when he gets some help in the running game. Another element that holds a lot of influence is his receiving weapons. There have been multiple instances in Prescott’s career where the front office has grossly misjudged the talent at the wide receiver position. We all remember the post-Dez Bryant era where they tried to supplement talent with a trio of characters such as Allen Hurns, Tavon Austin, and Deonte Thompson. Yikes. They ran into a similar issue after moving on from Amari Cooper when Noah Brown was relied on far more than he should’ve been. And most recently, the team had to count on third-year receiver Jalen Tolbert to pick up the slack after Brandin Cooks got hurt, and suffice it to say, it was meek at best. Prescott’s stats over his career are indicative of the team’s ups and downs at wide receiver. It’s easy to tell when he’s had good receivers and not-so-good receivers. Four times he’s finished with a completion percentage of less than 67%. His QB rating follows a similar path. Three times he’s finished with a QB rating less than 95, including twice over the last three years. Those same three seasons show up when you look at the years he’s averaged 7.3 yards per attempt or less over his career. The years 2017, 2022, and 2024 repeatedly stand out like a sore thumb for Dak. What’s going on in those years? If we suspect lack of weapons is playing a big role in that, how do those years stack up to the others in terms of wide receiver talent? Sure enough, there is another cutoff when it comes to the total yards of the team’s second wide receiver. Terrance Williams, Noah Brown, and Jalen Tolbert are the three lowest WR2 producers over Prescott’s career, all under 650 yards for the year. The Cowboys have an alpha in CeeDee Lamb, and now, after the trade for George Pickens, they’ll have one of the better WR2s in the league. Pickens has a 17-game average of over 1,000 yards over his career, and that number is over 1,100 yards if you throw out his “measly” 801-yard rookie season. When the quarterback makes $60 million per year, people have high expectations. And rightfully so. But a QB is still one player, and he needs help if the team is going to make any serious noise. With Pickens, Dak has that help. And barring this ordeal blowing up in the Cowboys’ face, Pickens should be able to deliver some top-end WR2 help that could once again propel this offense up the ranks. Dak Prescott won 13 games with Dez and Beasley.The Cowboys led the league in yards with Amari and Gallup.They led the league in yards and points with Amari and CeeDee.They again led the league in points with CeeDee and Brandin Cooks. What will he do with CeeDee and Pickens? pic.twitter.com/ODk0Rx0ieE — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) July 5, 2025

We’re counting down to the season opener (Day 59) with some Cowboys history We’re counting down the days until the Dallas Cowboys battle the Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener of the 2025 NFL season. To pass the time and mark the days, we running through 100 Days of Cowboys. So sit back and enjoy some Cowboys history while we countdown to football. Today – number 59. Frank Clarke Born: February 7, 1934. Beloit, WisconsinPosition: Tight endDallas Cowboys: 1960-1967Awards: All-Pro- 1964NFL receiving touchdowns leader (1962) In celebration of #BHM, we recognize Frank Clarke (1934-2018) who was the first African American star player on the @dallascowboys as wide receiver, during a time when the team played in a racially divided Dallas. : Dallas Cowboys Weekly pic.twitter.com/bqlxgez40u — Dallas Sports Commission (@dallas_sports) February 16, 2023 Frank Clarke played receiver for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1967, becoming one of the franchise’s first true offensive stars. Originally a reserve in Cleveland, Clarke blossomed in Dallas, known for his speed, precise routes, and big-play ability. He was the first receiver in Cowboys history to record a 1,000-yard season and held numerous team receiving records by the time he retired. Clarke led the NFL in touchdown receptions in 1962, with 14 touchdowns, and played a key role in helping establish the Cowboys as a competitive team in the league’s early expansion era. He still ranks eighth in Cowboys history in receiving yards and his 50 career receiving touchdowns is still sixth-most in team history. Sadly, Clarke passed away in 2018, at the age of 84 after a life of trailblazing in Colorado, Dallas and then broadcasting. The original 82, Frank Clarke, scoring against Pittsburgh and is considered the Cowboys first deep-threat receiver.#DallasCowboys #Cowboys #NFL pic.twitter.com/nDQxGoGLUD — Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) June 17, 2024 Best known for:Clarke was best known for being the Cowboys’ first standout receiver, setting early franchise records and becoming a favorite target of quarterback Don Meredith during the team’s formative years. This week in Cowboys history, the team choose 36 players from the pool made available by other NFL clubs. (The 1960 draft had already happened by the time the team was a franchise).Frank Clarke, one of the players selected, was the 1st WR to reach 1,000 yds in club history. #TBT pic.twitter.com/22zVXGnx4Q — Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) March 12, 2020 Lesser known fact:After retiring, Clarke became a first in broadcasting, becoming one of the first Black sports anchors on television in the United States, breaking barriers in both professional football and the media industry. ✭ COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF ✭ With 100 days to go until the #Cowboys kickoff the season against the #Eagles, we are counting down with a @BloggingTheBoys Top-100 consensus ranking. We asked staffers to give in their top-100, here is: DAY 59Frank Clarke#DallasCowboys… pic.twitter.com/O35dj6Oiw0 — Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) July 7, 2025

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images When do you think the Cowboys will finally land a Micah Parsons extension? At a time not too incredibly long from now, Micah Parsons will receive a contract extension from the Dallas Cowboys. Since stepping on the field in 2021, this former 12th overall pick from Penn State has continuously wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks. The Cowboys were fortunate to get him, considering they were targeting one of the top two cornerbacks in this draft class, yet they were taken back-to-back in the two picks right before them. They were also fortunate that this super athletic off-ball linebacker emerged as one of the best edge rushers in the league. The time has come to pay up, and that’s what the Cowboys will do when Parsons signs his new deal. There is growing frustration among the fanbase that this deal isn’t done already. It’s become a common thing for this football team to drag their feet when it comes to these contract negotiations. Why should this be any different? While there’s quite a bit of hoopla across the media with these contract ordeals, it’s really just business as usual. So, why does it feel like such a huge mess? A big reason for that is that there are a lot of narratives thrown out there that are misleading. To gain a better understanding of what’s really happening, let’s run through those narratives and try to determine which ones hold water. MYTH #1: They should have extended him last year Parsons became first eligible for an extension last year. Had the front office signed him then, his price would have been cheaper because we all know that with each new year, the cost goes up because the salary cap goes up. However, to sign him last year would mean that Parsons and his representation would have to agree. Why would they do that? Why would he sign a contract when a bigger one is right around the corner? Most contract extensions are given when there is one year left on the deal, which is this year for Parsons. It’s rare that players opt to do it early, and if they do, there has to be a reason for it. The Cowboys lucked out when they signed Tyron Smith with a lengthy eight-year deal with two years left on his deal. Now, there was a lot of stuff going on with Smith and his family with money battles, but a $100 million carrot was dangled in front of him, and he took it. Parsons’ representation (Athlete’s First) is not going to succumb to such temptations. MYTH #2: T.J. Watt’s contract will jack up his price Another narrative that builds up steam is the idea that every new extension that happens for a player at the same position drives up the asking price. In that scenario, everyone would be waiting, right? In this business, that is the NFL, agents talk to other agents, owners talk to other owners, and agents and owners talk to each other. Everyone is talking. It’s hard to believe that with all the communication that goes on and advanced analytics that is used to determine a player’s value that the relevant people aren’t already privy. Nobody is tapping their fingers together, anticipating the surprise. It’s their job to know and they know. So, while we wait to learn the value of Watt’s average annual salary, it seems very likely that others already know. Just as they already have a strong sense about what Parsons’ price will be. Waiting doesn’t equal more expensive. MYTH #3: The Joneses are bumbling fools The front office talks so much about being responsible financially, so it would be very strange for them to behave in a manner that would make a player more expensive. Yet, that is what people believe is happening. The Cowboys wait too long, and it costs them more money because Jerry and Stephen are really bad at managing this cap thing. Does that track? We hear things like the Cowboys love to stay in the news, or that they have their money tied up elsewhere, as potential reasons for not getting deals done sooner, but is that really what you believe is happening? We’ve had the luxury of hearing agents give us a behind-the-scenes look at contract negotiations, and they will be the first to tell you that the Joneses know what they’re doing. It may not make a lot of sense to us about what is going on, and they aren’t perfect, but this notion that the front office is inept when it comes to contract negotiations is all based on fan emotion and not actual data. So, what’s the holdup? This is where things get tricky because until someone spills the beans sometime in the future, we are left speculating. What we do know is that both sides are pushing for more money. Parsons wants more financial security, and the Cowboys want more cap flexibility, and they are both justified in fighting for that. Ultimately, this battle will end very close to his market price, but in the meantime, both sides will continue to fight using whatever leverage they have. Speaking of that leverage, if they aren’t able to get a deal done this year, the Cowboys have an ace in the hole in the form of the franchise tag. Instead of becoming the highest-paid non-QB in the NFL, Parsons could end up with a one-year cost that is the average of the top-five paid edge rushers in the league. He knows that, his agents know that, and the Joneses know that. If Parsons has great representation like Dak Prescott did, he could choose to bet on himself and turn the leverage in his favor by having the patience to play this year on his fifth-year option, next year on the tag, and then move towards entering the open market in free agency. But something like that is a big gamble, and it

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images If you had to describe the Dallas Cowboys offseason in one word… what would that word be? This past offseason has been an interesting one for Dallas Cowboys standards. They were active in free agency, made a number of trades, held strong to their convictions during the NFL draft and even made one more trade following the draft’s conclusion. It feels like a night and day difference relative to recent offseasons of the past which seems to have contributed to the boost in morale across fans within Cowboys Nation. We all are obviously approaching things with caution since we have been burned before, but it finally feels like we are at least turning towards north instead of heading completely due south. If you had to describe all of the activity that we have seen over the last few months, but if you had to do so in just one word… what would that word be? To make things more challenging do your best to not use a word that someone else has in the comments. Let us know your answer below!

Think you can figure out which Cowboys player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game! Hey Cowboys fans! We’re back for another day of the Blogging The Boys in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form. If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article. Previous games Sunday, July 6, 2025Saturday, July 5, 2025Friday, July 4, 2025 Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games NFL in-5MLB in-5MMA in-5 Blogging The Boys in-5 instructions The goal of the game is to guess the correct Cowboys player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form. Enjoy!

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images The Dallas Cowboys are pledging to help the victims of the Texas Hill Country disaster. Over the weekend Texas Hill Country was struck with disaster. Intense flooding led to numerous deaths and several lives who are still unaccounted for. Our thoughts and prayers here at Blogging The Boys are with the folks in Texas Hill Country and all who were and remain impacted by it. The flooding began as people were preparing the celebrate the Fourth of July and on Sunday morning the Dallas Cowboys released a statement that noted they were donating $500,000 to disaster relief and standing “side by side” of the response provided by the Salvation Army. pic.twitter.com/QEk4QZD5IN — Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) July 6, 2025 The Houston Texans announced themselves over the weekend that they were also donating $500,000. The NFL foundation added that they too were donating $500,000 to take the donations on behalf of the NFL’s presence in the Lone Star State to $1.5M. If you would like to make a donation yourself to the Salvation Army you can do so here.

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images How many “blue chip” players would you say the Cowboys have? There’s no definitive answer for how many blue-chip players need to be on an NFL roster to guarantee a Super Bowl. However, if the Dallas Cowboys want to make it to the playoffs this year, they need at least four to five blue-chip type talents. So, what characteristics does a player need to be considered a blue-chip talent? The bare minimum should be an All-Pro level talent. Pro Bowls have become more subjective to the point where the bar to get in has been lowered. No offense to Tyler Huntley, the former Baltimore Ravens backup quarterback, but he earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2022 with a 2-2 record as a starter. All-Pro nominations are harder to come by, considering there is usually one player picked for each position outside of wide receiver, the defensive line, and the secondary. Outside of being considered a first- or second-team All-Pro, a blue-chip player needs to be someone a team builds around and is a cornerstone player for the franchise. They should also be in the conversation to be the best at their position. Those attributes must be a package deal; you should not have one without the other. As tough as it is to admit, the Cowboys could learn from the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl roster from last season. Their top players are Lane Johnson, Jalen Carter, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, Zack Baun, and Jordan Mailata. All of them were critical to the team’s success and lifting the Lombardi Trophy. So, how many blue-chip players do the Cowboys have heading into 2025? Who can become one with a great season? Who does Dallas desperately need to become their “Zack Baun” this year and exceed expectations out of nowhere? Let’s start with part one of the series, which will focus on the most talented players on the Cowboys roster. Certified Blue-Chip Players Brandon Aubrey: We start with Brandon Aubrey because he might be the one name fans could overlook in an exercise like this. It’s important to remember how impactful he’s been in just a short amount of time. According to Stathead, Aubrey has hit 76 field goals, the most of any kicker in NFL history during their first two seasons. In 2024, Aubrey had 140 points (second most in the NFL); in 2023, he was the league’s leading scorer with 157 points. If the team needs a 60-yard field goal, Aubrey has proven his range is almost half the field. He’s become an actual weapon for Dallas’ offense. Micah Parsons: The only question centered around Micah Parsons is how many zeros will be attached to his new contract extension. Parsons has earned every penny about to come his way after having a legendary start to his career. The NFL players who have had at least a dozen sacks in each of their first four years in the league… 1. Hall of Famer Reggie White2. Micah Parsons That’s it. That’s the list. pic.twitter.com/VwowiSFChi — Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) January 5, 2025 He’s the type of player who does not come around often. A perennial blue-chip talent, he should be a cornerstone of the franchise for years to come. CeeDee Lamb: CeeDee Lamb was given the daunting task of wearing No. 88 and living up to the franchise’s legacy with that jersey. He has exceeded expectations and has the chance to become the best of the bunch. Here is a list of the top 5 wide receivers in NFL history for most receiving yards across their first five seasons: 1. Justin Jefferson – 7,4322. Tory Holt – 6,7843. Randy Moss – 6,7434. Jerry Rice – 6,3645. CeeDee Lamb – 6,339 (via @Stathead) With a healthy Dak Prescott back at quarterback and not missing time this offseason due to a contract dispute, Lamb should be able to return to the player we saw in 2023, when he showed to be one of the NFL’s premier players at the wide receiver position. Even with George Pickens by his side this year, Lamb should have more opportunities to find success with less pressure on his shoulders to carry the entire offense. Tyler Smith: Tyler Smith might not have made this list before last season, but he had as strong and effective a year for an offensive guard in the NFL. Here is Smith’s sack allowed rate over his first three seasons. Tyler Smith’s sack allowed rate by season since entering the NFL: 2022: 1.2%2023: 0.2%2024: 0.3% Smith has allowed just 10 sacks on 1,784 pass block snaps in his career. With how important the guard position has become to this era of football, Dallas should be happy to be proven right about a questionable pick on draft night, who’s turned into a cornerstone anchor of the offensive line. Oh, and Smith just turned 24 years old in April. Part two will examine which players are primed to become blue-chip players in 2025.