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When the Cowboys selected Oklahoma right tackle Tyler Guyton in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, they knew the pick came with some baggage. Not only was the 6-foot-8, 322-pound prospect underdeveloped, but he was also a bit injury prone, missing three games each of his last two seasons.
As advertised, the Cowboys have experienced all that and more from their struggling rookie. Guyton has already missed two games in 2024 and after suffering what he called a high ankle sprain on Thanksgiving Day, he stands to miss even more time.
Various bumps and bruises have bounced the Cowboys left tackle from the field to the bench multiple times this season. For a player whom Pro Football Focus graded 71st of 76 offensive tackles, they are snaps this struggling rookie cannot afford to miss.
Guyton has allowed five sacks and 23 pressures in 2024. He’s second in the NFL in penalties (16) at his position and he’s only played 10 games. Mind you, none of this is surprising because he was always billed as a project player whom teams would have to patiently develop. It’s the injury situation that’s really the problematic trait that’s followed him because it stalls his development and delays the Cowboys evaluation of the 23-year-old.
Guyton, a right tackle in college, has been plugged into the left side since coming to Dallas. Ideally, the Cowboys want to make him the cornerstone piece on the blindside, but if that transition fails, they always have the right side to fall back on. That’s not a move they’d make midseason already but if given enough snaps to review, it’s a move they could make as soon as the 2025 offseason.
The 2024 season is largely a season of evaluation across the offensive line. Guyton and fellow rookie starter Cooper Beebe are obviously new to the unit, and players like T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman are under evaluation for bigger roles in the future. Tyler Smith has LT ability if needs be, but Plan A is clearly to make Guyton the LT.
The various combinations could fall a number of different ways in 2025, but it all starts with making a determination on Guyton this year and that can’t happen with him limping off the field every other week.