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The Dallas Cowboys raised some eyebrows around the league when they traded down in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and then selected Tyler Guyton. While many viewed the offensive tackle as a developmental prospect, there’s already promising Cowboys news on his quick learning curve.
Guyton, a 6-foot-8 offensive tackle, only made 14 career starts in college at both left tackle (one) and right tackle (13). The size, length and athleticism were all extremely enticing and the Cowboys front office saw the tools of a potential Pro Bowl left tackle.
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However, Guyton also had a lot of ups and downs in college with his footwork, leverage and hand placement all needing significant work. In a best-case scenario, many thought he could sit for a year and then take over as a starting left tackle in the NFL.
Dallas is operating with a much faster timeline. The rookie is competing to be the Cowboys starting left tackle in Week 1, which means going up against the likes of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence in practice. Thus far, he’s one of the standouts at Cowboys training camp.
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Senior NFL reporter Jerem Fowler of ESPN wrote that the Cowboys are “thrilled with the early progress” Guyton has shown. To put the team’s excitement into perspective, members of the organization told Fowler that Guytoon might even be ahead of where Tyler Smith was two seasons ago.
Smith, the 24th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, played guard in his rookie season and many also viewed him as a project player. He earned PFWA’s All-Rookie Team honors in 2022 and he broke out last season, being named second-team All-Pro and earning his first Pro Bowl selection.
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It’s worth keeping in mind that the big jump for Smith specifically came from 2022 to 2023, but the first signs of his quick development showed up when he was a rookie. With how well Guyton is performing at Cowboys training camp, Fowler also noted that the team believes the offensive line is its deepest position and it might get trade calls on their depth players.
Guyton’s quick development is excellent news for Dallas heading into the regular season. Most analysts were concerned about three spots on the Cowboys offensive line, with left tackle being the most glaring concern. If Guyton is already shaping up to be a quality starter, it will have a significant impact on the Cowboys offense this season.
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