Tyron Smith holds the key to the NY Jets' Super Bowl aspirations

Tyron Smith signed with the NY Jets this offseason due in large part to his desire to compete for a Super Bowl. Smith has never played in a Super Bowl in his 13 seasons in the NFL as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.

Now, at 33 years old, Smith is hoping a change of scenery will help him put the cherry on top of what has been one of the most impressive careers by an offensive lineman in decades. And the good news is that he holds the key to achieving his dreams.

Tyron Smith is the best left tackle the Jets have ever rostered. That's not a slight at longtime starter D'Brickashaw Ferguson. It's not a dig at Super Bowl starter and Pro Football Hall of Famer Winston Hill.

We're just talking about a caliber of player the NFL has rarely seen at the left tackle position. And even at his advanced age with his injury history, Smith really hasn't lost a step when he's been on the field.

Tyron Smith is the best LT the NY Jets have ever had

Smith looked every bit of his prime self in 2023. The longtime Cowboys left tackle earned second-team All-Pro honors, allowing just one single QB hit and 18 pressures on 536 pass-block attempts.

Smith's 3.36 percent pressure rate ranked third-best among all qualified tackles and he actually finished with the highest Pro Football Focus pass-block grade of his illustrious career. His 88.6 PFF pass-block grade was the highest among all qualified tackles.

But not all pressures are created equal. A sack and a hurry count the same in the pressure stat sheet. That's what makes Smith's performance even more remarkable. The All-Pro left tackles allowed just one sack and one QB hit all season.

In fact, only four qualified tackles in the entire NFL allowed one or fewer QB hits in 2023. The Jets currently employ two of them: Smith and Morgan Moses.

Smith's 2023 performance is amplified by the fact that he was placed in a one-on-one situation over 84 percent of the time, the third-highest rate in the NFL per Next Gen Stats. The Cowboys routinely put him in difficult situations with no help, and he still was statistically arguably the best left tackle in football.

Of course, we can't ignore the proverbial elephant in the room. The Jets were able to land Smith on such an affordable, team-friendly deal because of his extensive injury history.

The former first-round pick hasn't appeared in more than 13 games in a season since 2015. He's played four or fewer games in two of the last four seasons. His injury history is a serious concern.

But if healthy, the Jets currently roster a player who can make a strong case for being the best left tackle in the NFL. And if this Jets team is going to reach its ceiling, and if Smith is going to achieve his ultimate goal, they're going to need that left tackle to stay healthy for the majority of the season.

The Jets will have Smith on a limited practice plan throughout the season, much like the Cowboys did in 2023. That plan allowed him to play in 13 games, his most since 2019.

But even with that plan in place, expecting him to play 17 healthy games is unreasonable. The Jets are aware of that, and it's partially why they used a first-round pick on Olu Fashanu. The Jets are expecting Smith to miss a few games here and there.

The Jets know the risk associated with Tyron Smith, but to them, the risk is worth the reward. That reward could be a Super Bowl if the risk pays off.

This article is part of the "Summer Spotlight" series on The Jet Press, dedicated to highlighting individual players on the Jets roster throughout the summer. Stay tuned for more features as we provide in-depth profiles and insights on various Jets players before the season kicks off.

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