The Dallas Cowboys selected Tyler Guyton from Oklahoma with the 29th pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night. Even though they traded down five spots, they were excited because they thought they found their next left tackle. This is important because they lost two starting players to free agency.
Guyton mostly played right tackle during his two seasons with the Sooners. He started his college career at TCU, not far from where the Cowboys play, and he grew up in Austin, Texas, as a fan of the team. In 2023, Guyton protected the blind side of quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who is left-handed.
Coach Mike McCarthy said that Guyton will play as the backside tackle, which means he’ll be responsible for protecting the quarterback’s blind side. McCarthy also mentioned Guyton’s enthusiasm and passion for the Cowboys and being from Austin, Texas. He believes Guyton will be a great addition to their offensive line.
The Cowboys lost Tyron Smith, an eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle, to the New York Jets in free agency. They also lost center Tyler Biadasz, who signed with Washington.
With Guyton joining the team, the Cowboys think they can keep Tyler Smith, their first-round pick from 2022, at left guard. He filled in for Tyron Smith when he was injured during his rookie season and played left guard last season.
“I know I have big shoes to fill from such a legendary tackle,” Guyton said. “But I’m going to work hard to do my best.”
The Cowboys traded their 24th overall pick to Detroit and got an early third-round choice in return. This gave Dallas four picks in the top 100. Detroit picked Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold with the 24th pick.
“It’s not easy to make a first-round pick exciting with offensive linemen,” said owner and general manager Jerry Jones. “But we felt excited about Tyler Smith two years ago, and we feel the same way about Guyton. He has a lot of potential.”
Dallas needs help on the offensive line, especially since Tyron Smith and Biadasz left.
Zack Martin, a seven-time All-Pro right guard, is still a strong player for the team, but the Dallas offensive line has been changing for a while. It started when Travis Frederick unexpectedly retired after the 2019 season.
Dallas wasn’t sure about keeping Tyron Smith because of his injuries. He played 13 games last season, the most since 2019, but he didn’t practice much to avoid getting hurt.
The Cowboys think they have some good options to replace Biadasz, who played for three years. Two young, undrafted players, Brock Hoffman and T.J. Bass, are among those considered.
Dallas has seen at least one starter leave in each of the past three offseasons. Left guard Connor Williams went to Miami in 2022, and his replacement, Connor McGovern, signed with Buffalo last year.
“You can’t keep paying three offensive linemen top dollar like we did when Dak was young,” said Stephen Jones, executive vice president of personnel. “You have to keep bringing in young players.”
Running back is another position the Cowboys need to fill after letting go of their lead back for the second year in a row.
Releasing Ezekiel Elliott, a two-time rushing champion, was a money-saving move last year. Tony Pollard, a fourth-round pick in 2019, signed with Tennessee in free agency after playing on the franchise tag last season.
The Cowboys haven’t ruled out bringing back Elliott, who played for New England last season. They’ve talked with him and his agent, Rocky Arceneaux, this week.
“Zeke is one of our favorites,” said Stephen Jones. “He’s given everything for this franchise. He’s a true competitor. We caught up with him and Rocky over a beer and then moved on.”
Dallas enters the second day of the draft with three picks. They already had the 56th overall pick in the second round and got the 73rd overall pick in the third round from the trade with Detroit. They also have the 87th overall pick in the third round.
