Cowboys in-house replacements for Tyler Guyton at left tackle

The Cowboys have a few in-house players who can replace Tyler Guyton for now.

The initial “fear” for Dallas Cowboys left tackle Tyler Guyton was that he suffered a torn ACL during Tuesday’s practice. However, the football gods heard the resounding hope for it to be less than that, and it looks like the winds have changed.

Todd Archer of ESPN reports the MRI confirmed Guyton’s ACL is intact and it looks to be a bone fracture that is the issue.

While this is the best news possible for a Cowboys team with high expectations heading into the season, Guyton will still miss a significant portion of time, which could extend into Week 1 and beyond.

In the scenario in which Guyton misses game time, Dallas does have depth with players in house to temporarily bandage the situation until their former first-round pick returns to the field. Here are some of the best options.

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1. Asim Richards

The Cowboys have struggled to find depth along their offensive line through the draft in the past, with swings on Josh Ball and Matt Waletzko. Given his progress a few seasons into his career, Asim Richards has the potential to be the player who breaks the mold.

The coaching staff knows what they have in Richards and the familiarity with his strengths and weaknesses. He might be the first player they try out in Guyton’s absence, but he may not be the full-time starter depending on how the next few weeks go in camp and the preseason.

Richards has started just one game at left, and it came against the Philadelphia Eagles at home in 2024. During that game, Richards finished with a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 59.7 and allowed four pressures. The third-year offensive lineman looked good coming into offseason workouts, so maybe with a larger workload and a better coaching staff, Richards can turn the corner and become a solid left tackle in an emergency situation.

2. Hakeem Adeniji

The front office went out and signed veteran depth along the offensive line during free agency, like Hakeem Adeniji, Robert Jones, and Saahdiq Charles. Adeniji is very similar to the players the Cowboys have signed in the past, like Cameron Fleming, Cameron Irving, and Chuma Edoga. These versatile veteran players have experience playing both guard and tackle spots.

Adeniji has received praise from various media members who have been at practice during training camp and even caught the attention of head coach Brian Schottenheimer.

The former 2020 sixth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals has started 15 games in his career, and the most time he spent at offensive tackle was as a rookie.

It’s been a while since he was in a position to be a starter, but if the Cowboys coaches trust his experience and are not willing to take a risk with someone like Asim Richards, he might be the best option until Guyton returns from his injury.

3. Tyler Smith

While the first options may be the most realistic, moving Tyler Smith might give Dallas the best left tackle, given the circumstances. Smith would find himself in a familiar place, where in 2022, when he was a rookie, he had to move over to left tackle after Tyron Smith suffered a torn hamstring injury that took him out for the majority of that year.

At that time, Smith was still inexperienced as a prospect and just beginning to learn how to be the team’s left guard. However, he played left tackle in his final two years at Tulsa as a starter, so filling in for Tyron was not a stretch.

Now we live in a world where Tyler Smith has become an All-Pro left guard and is entering a pivotal year of his rookie deal. Offensive linemen are highly valued in the NFL, and the interior line has gained importance both on and off the field, with the guard market booming financially.

Does it make sense for Dallas to move depth at two positions? Or should they stick with someone in-house at left tackle and keep Tyler Smith at left guard, where he can perform best?

4. Nathan Thomas or Ajani Cornelius

Nathan Thomas and Ajani Cornelius are the dark horse candidates of the group and carry the biggest unknown among all of Dallas’s options.

Cornelius is just a rookie, and Thomas missed his entire rookie season last year with an injury, but was drafted with the idea that he could be a versatile developmental depth piece for the Cowboys’ offensive line room.

Both men have to probably show more on the practice field to warrant their names being in a conversation like this, but Schottenheimer was on the offensive staff when Dallas selected both players in the draft. Schottenheimer recently talked about how Thomas has caught his attention and is excited to see what he will do in year two.

Thomas was also mentioned during Friday’s interview with Cowboys VP of Player Personnel Will McClay on 105.3 the Fan. The former seventh-round pick has never played in a preseason game, so considering Thomas’ name should be taken with a grain of salt if the coaches want to see him continue to develop. They would probably look outside the building before inserting the two unknowns into their Week 1 lineup.

However, during his first year as head coach, Mike McCarthy made a bold move in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams by starting Terence Steele at right tackle, even though Dallas had other veteran options for the position. Could Schottenheimer do something similar if Thomas or Cornelius start to stand out a lot in practice and the preseason, building the coach’s confidence in the players? That is a lot of “ifs,” but we will see if either gets an opportunity with the first team at left tackle.