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Tyler Guyton #60 of the Dallas Cowboys
In defense of Dallas Cowboys left tackle Tyler Guyton, when he arrived in the NFL as the 29th pick in 2024, the consensus was that he would need some work. He had been a defensive tackle in high school, moved to the offensive line in college, sat out a season, dealt with injuries and entered the draft with just 15 career starts under his belt. He’d mostly played right tackle at Oklahoma (quarterback Dillon Gabriel was a lefty), and had limited experience at left tackle
Everyone knew Guyton was talented, but every knew he would need some work. As the Bleacher Report scouting write-up on Guyton said, “Overall, Tyler Guyton is a young, inexperienced and green tackle prospect.”
So it should come as no surprise to find that, two years into his NFL career, as he has dealt with injuries that limited him to 25 games, Guyton is still inexperienced and green. By the end of last season, he had been demoted from the starting lineup and finally saw his season ended with an ankle injury.
Tyler Guyton Might Not Return to Starting Lineup
The problem for Tyler Guyton now is, he is not that young. He turns 25 in June, and while that hardly means he is elderly, it does mean that he won’t have the “young” excuse behind him anymore. He’ll be three years into his career, too, so “inexperienced and green” is out the window now, too.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer was pretty clear about that this week at the NFL owners meetings. At the end of last season, remember, Schottenheimer was openly stating that Guyton might not make it back into the starting tackle role, even when healthy.
Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer: ‘Tyler Guyton Has Got a Chance to Be Elite’
Asked about Guyton in his meeting with Cowboys reporters, Schottenheimer stressed the importance of the months leading into the team’s offseason program for Guyton, and warned that he’s entering a now-or-never phase.
“Tyler Guyton’s got a chance to be an elite player,” Schottenheimer said. “But he’s got to take that next step, and we have to help him take that next step, and that’s through the process, the planning and having a very specific action plan of what we want to see him get better at.
“It starts with his footwork, getting him more comfortable, getting him more balanced at the point of attack. Then there’s his hand usage. He’s really a young, raw left tackle. Defensive lineman, right tackle in college, left tackle that’s missed a bunch of time so, the biggest thing for him will be having a great, healthy offseason. How do you do that? Well, Luke Schoonmaker figured it out last year, he had a great plan from February, March, into the offseason program and that’s what Tyler Guyton’s done thus far.”
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer
GettyDallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer
Cowboys Will Field 5 Best OLs
It is clear that there will not be a lot of leash available for Guyton this summer if he does not improve. To end the season in 2025, the Cowboys had moved guard Tyler Smith out to the left tackle spot, with TJ Bass finishing as the left guard. Ultimately, the Cowboys would prefer to use Bass as the injury replacement–he give the team flexibility and depth.
The Cowboys are clear, they want Smith to remain at guard, where he is a star-caliber blocker. But that depends on Guyton, and they have not committed to a plan at tackle–other than to field their five best linemen at all times.
As Schottenheimer said in January: “”I was explaining to him, I said, ‘Hey, I think we feel that you’re an incredible All-Decade type of guard but, at the end of the day, you’re such a good player that we have to [field] our five best guys. In no way, shape, or form do I think that we can’t. …
“We’re gonna do what’s best for the Dallas Cowboys winning the Super Bowl, and that, just like we did last for [final games of 2025], if we got a move you back, we will.”