2 Dallas Cowboys make the cut for Next Gen Stats’ 2024 All-Pro team

The Dallas Cowboys’ season has come to a close with a narrow defeat at the hands of the Washington Commanders to finish with a 7-10 record. Nobody expected the Cowboys to fall as far as they did. They are just a year removed from their third straight 12-win season.

I expected the Cowboys to take the league by storm in 2024 in HC Mike McCarthy’s revised West Coast offensive scheme, but the offense looked disjointed for much of the season. It’s almost like the team that took the field in the 48-32 Wildcard loss to the Green Bay Packers is the true identity of the team.

Defensively, DC Mike Zimmer began the season a bit shaky, and that’s an understatement. The defense gave up 44 points to the New Orleans Saints, 28 points to the Baltimore Ravens, and 47 points to the Detroit Lions. To add insult to defeat, all of those losses occurred at AT&T Stadium.

Now that the regular season is over, the accolades have begun to be handed out to NFL players who stood out above their peers. The Cowboys suffered a litany of injuries to many key players, and it led to a 7-10 record, the first losing season since 2020.

Next Gen Stats released their version of their All-Pro team, and two Cowboys made the cut. It’s a far cry from the nine selections last season, but two players is on par with how the season went. Next Gen Stats is a system used by the NFL to track player data beyond the traditional methods. GPS tracking is used to register speed, acceleration, and distance traveled on the field.

LG Tyler Smith

What if I told you that the Cowboys have one of the best young interior linemen in the NFL, and he made this list? LG Tyler Smith just completed his third full season in the NFL, and the former 1st round pick has been a homerun for the Cowboys scouting department.

Smith was much maligned as the 24th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but he has proven fans wrong with a reputation as a mauler in the run game, and a dancing bear in pass protection. Coming out of Tulsa, Smith had some technique issues, but he has since improved under OL Coach Mike Solari, and the hard work has paid off.

Tyler Smith did not give up a single sack this season in pass protection. In 363 pass protection reps, Smith gave up a pressure rate of just 3.6% in one-on-one situations, which happens to rank as best in the league among all offensive linemen.

KR/PR KaVontae Turpin

One of the most electric players in the NFL with the ball in his hand is being recognized for his efforts once again. Cowboys’ WR/KR/PR KaVontae Turpin is fast. Speed gets you noticed, and Turpin’s success in the kick return game has landed him on this list.

Turpin is listed on the Cowboys’ roster as a wide receiver, and he has stepped up on offense this season in many ways. He totaled 47 touches (31 receptions, 16 carries) for 512 yards and two receiving touchdowns in 2024. The speedy wide receiver was more involved in the offense, and the team was better for it.

However, Turpin made this list for special teams, not offense. He led the league in kick return yardage (904) and kick return average (33.4), and broke the 21 mph barrier on three separate occasions, the most by any player in any single season since Next Gen Stats began tracking in 2016. He returned one kick for touchdown, a 99-yard scamper that played a big factor in his 292 yards over expected.

The Cowboys have two of the best players in the NFL at their respective positions, and it’s nice to see them get recognized. Here is the full list of Next Gen Stats All-Pro recipients:

Offense

QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore

RB Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia

WR Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati

WR Justin Jefferson, Minnesota

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit

TE George Kittle, San Francisco

LT Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay

LG Tyler Smith, Dallas

C Creed Humphrey, Kansas City

RG Quinn Meinerz, Denver

RT Lane Johnson, Philadelphia

Defense

EDGE Myles Garrett, Cleveland

EDGE Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati

DT Chris Jones, Kansas City

DT Zach Allen, Denver

LB Zack Baun, Philadelphia

LB Kaden Elliss, Atlanta

CB Patrick Surtain Jr, Denver

CB Derek Stingley Jr, Houston

Slot CB Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia

S Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore

S Kerby Joseph, Detroit

Special Teams

K Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh

P AJ Cole, Las Vegas

KR/PR KaVontae Turpin, Dallas