Former First Round Pick Called 'Weak Link' on Cowboys Offense

Getty

Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyler Guyton.

There isn’t much the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff can do when it comes to second year offensive tackle Tyler Guyton at this point except stay positive.

Say the right things. Give the right soundbites. Talk Guyton up at every opportunity.

Across the board in professional sports, it’s widely accepted that bad rookie years don’t serve to define any single player. Even in that cutthroat world, there’s a grace period.

The rest of, however, can jump to conclusions. When someone plays as bad as Guyton did in his rookie season, that conclusion is almost always that he’s a bust.

That’s why Yahoo Sports NFL reporter Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz put Guyton on his list of “Nine NFL Players Who Need To Step Up After Rough Rookie Years” on June 9.

Guyton, 6-foot-8 and 322 pounds, was the No. 29 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft out of Oklahoma and signed a 4-year, $13.15 million rookie contract.

“A rough transition to the professional level seemed inevitable for Guyton … who offered an enticing package of athleticism but lacked the refinement to engender much trust as a rookie as he flipped from right tackle to the left side,” Middlehurst-Schwarts wrote. “The No. 29 overall pick started 11 games for the Cowboys and proved to be a weak link for the line, committing 18 penalties while struggling mightily against in both pass protection and run blocking.”

“The NFL needs better refs. Please!” – Cowboys rookie OT Tyler Guyton

Dallas finished last night with 11 penalties

Guyton Part of Record Run on Offensive Picks

There weren’t many NFL offensive tackles worst than Guyton in 2024, when he registered an anemic, 49.4 overall grade from PFF. That ranked him 115th out of 140 eligible players at his position.

The 2024 draft became known for its record run on offensive picks, with the first 14 picks all offensive players. Guyton was the last of 8 offensive linemen selected one of 6 offensive tackles.

According to PFF’s overall grades, Guyton was the worst of the 8 rookies and the only one who graded in the 40s. Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Joe Alt, the No. 5 overall pick, was the best with a 77.6 overall grade.

Cowboys Seemed to Address Struggles in 2025 Draft

If we’re reading the tea leaves, it’s not hard to conclude Guyton’s struggles and what the Cowboys saw out of him during his rookie season directly influenced how they approached the 2025 NFL draft.

For the third time in 4 years, the Cowboys used their first round pick on an offensive lineman, taking Alabama offensive guard Tyler Booker with the No. 12 overall pick. The Cowboys drafted offensive guard Tyler Smith at No. 24 overall in 2022 and he’s been an NFL All-Pro and 2-time Pro Bowler in his first 3 seasons.

There’s no way the Cowboys take another offensive lineman in 2025 if they think Guyton could turn into an elite player — they just have too many other needs. Booker also wasn’t the only offensive lineman Dallas selected in 2025. They used a sixth round pick (No. 204 overall) on 6-foot-5, 310-pound Oregon offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius.

Cornelius played his first 3 seasons of college football at Rhode Island, an FCS school, and was named All-CAA in 2022. He transferred to Oregon for his final 2 seasons, where he was named All-Pac-12 in 2023 and All-Big Ten in 2024.

Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame