The Dallas Cowboys have quietly begun their OTAs at The Star, and while there are many issues that will come to the fore over the next few weeks–these are voluntary practices, where minicamp on June 16-20 is mandatory–few will actually be resolved. Most of those issues are on the defensive side, where new coordinator Christian Parker is seeking to remake the worst unit in the league, but there are issues on offense, too. And none is quite as big as Tyler Guyton.
It was clear that the Cowboys were frustrated with Guyton last season, after he started the year behind the 8-ball having missed much of training camp with a knee injury, and finished it by being replaced at tackle with guard Tyler Smith, after Guyton suffered an ankle injury.
Guyton was the Cowboys’ first-round pick in 2024, but has been slow to develop at the left tackle spot. That’s a position that is just to important to wait on his development any further, and the Cowboys now have other options on hand if they are not impressed with where Guyton is.
Cowboys’ Tyler Guyton in ‘Do-or-Die’ Battle
Speaking as a guest on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Wednesday, Cowboys beat writer Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram gave a stark review of where Guyton is just now: “No doubt, this is a do or die year for Tyler Guyton and this training camp is going to be very huge for what his future looks like in Dallas.”
That’s certainly not a spot where the Cowboys expected to be with their offensive line at this point. Typically, the team has been among the best in the NFL when it comes to drafting and developing top-level offensive lineman. And while Dallas has a strength up the middle–Cooper Beebe at center, Tyler Booker and Smith at guard–Guyton on the left side and, to a lesser extent, Terence Steele on the right side, are major concerns at tackle.
Tyler Guyton Must Stay Healthy
Guyton is an odd case, but it can’t be certain whether his problem is just that he has struggled staying healthy enough during training camp to really improve each season, or if he is just not good enough.
Said Harris: “I think it is a little bit of both, I think they go hand in hand. I think two things can be true there, and the durability is going to be the biggest thing to watch this offseason because he ahs not had a healthy training camp yet. He’s going into Year 3 and if you remember, his rookie year of training camp, he had that flu/sickness that kept him out for about a week and a half and last year he had that knee sprain that kept him out for the majority of camp after starting camp pretty well.
“Him just staying healthy for the majority of time out in Oxnard would be a huge step in the right direction. They do feel that there is some confidence that they could see that progression really rise if he is healthy at training camp. But that’s a big if.”
Cowboys Have Left Tackle Options
If, indeed, Guyton just doesn’t instill much confidence with the Cowboys, Dallas does have options. Nate Thomas, a seventh-round pick a year ago, got some work at the position last year, though he was underwhelming. The Cowboys drafted tackle Drew Shelton in the fourth round, too.
As an emergency option, Dallas could push Smith back out to tackle and play TJ Bass at left guard.
Said Harris: “I think Tyler Guyton’s the leader in the clubhouse and I think if we were to go out and watch them play a game tomorrow, you would see Tyler Guyton start at left tackle. But they want more confidence there. There’s a reason Drew Shelton was the pick in the fourth round. There is a reason Nate Thomas is continuing to be developed at the left tackle position. They want that to be a competition in my eyes.”
Cowboys 1st-Round Pick Facing ‘Do-or-Die’ Camp