Ben Larimore
May 16, 2024 6:30 am CT
After a devastating early exit from the first round of last year’s playoffs, the Cowboys found themselves in a tough situation. Contract years for star players Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parson’s loom on the horizon, and dead money from previous contracts linger into this year’s salary cap hit. The team would ultimately decide to part ways with several starters to relieve the salary cap situation, including 2023 starters at left tackle and center, Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz
In the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, the Cowboys found themselves with a long wait for their first pick, No. 24 overall. However, the Cowboys were missing their fourth-round pick as a result of the Trey Lance trade. There were more than a few intriguing names lingering on the board, and the front office decided to trade back with the Detroit Lions to pick No. 29, picking up the No. 73 overall pick in the process. Once back on the clock, Tyler Guyton was their man.
Guyton played offensive tackle for Oklahoma on the right side of the line, protecting their left handed quarterback’s blind side. It’s not often a collegiate right tackle transition to the left side, but the Cowboys appear ready to overcome that stigma with Guyton, as confirmed in rookie minicamp. Is it a good idea?
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Background
Oklahoma offensive lineman Tyler Guyton runs a drill during the University of Oklahoma (OU) Sooners Pro Day in Norman, Okla., Tuesday, March 12, 2024.
Guyton, originally a basketball athlete, transitioned to football during his senior year of high school. Despite a lack of tape, he received an offer from TCU and committed as an “athlete.” He eventually played on the offensive line and made his first college start as an H-back. After the 2021 season, he transferred to Oklahoma where he transitioned to offensive tackle, playing primarily on the right side, and eventually accepted an invitation to the 2024 Senior Bowl.
Physical Profile: Spider Graph via mockdraftable.com
Participating in the NFL Scouting combine and Reese’s Senior Bowl workouts helped NFL scouts gauge who he is as an athlete.
Injury History: 2023 Minor undisclosed injury (Missed Kansas game)
Analysis: Wearing #60, Tyler Guyton towers over the average offensive tackle (OT) prospect with a height just over 6-foot-7 and a weight of 328 pounds, providing him with a significant size advantage. His wingspan and arm length are excellent, facilitating a greater reach, and his hand size is consistent with OT standards.
Measurables – via Mockdraftable.com
Analysis: His athletic performance is impressive, running the 40-yard dash in 5.19 seconds, which is faster than the OT average, and demonstrating superior leaping ability. His agility is also noteworthy, with quicker times in the 3-Cone and 20-yard shuttle drills. Although there’s no record of his bench press, his physical and athletic metrics suggest a player with both the size and agility desired in a top-tier OT prospect.
College Statistics
Film Study
Oct 7, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Tyler Guyton (60) reacts during the game against the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Film Study: TCU (2023) Texas (2023) SMU (2023) Oklahoma St (2023) TCU (2022) Texas (2022) Oklahoma St (2021)
Best game: SMU (2023)
Worst game: Oklahoma State (2023)
Strengths
Oklahoma Sooners
Football vs Iowa State
Oklahoma Football
Norman, Oklahoma
Game Start Time: 11:10 AM ET
Game Date: October 07, 2023
Photo By: JBaker/OU Football
Guyton, 22, has no reported injury history. His athleticism is excellent for his size, and he possesses impressive quickness and depth in his kick-slides. With a high effort level and a mauler mentality, Guyton can beat opponents off the snap both in pass sets and run blocking. Additionally, he has demonstrated the strength to sustain blocks and turn his opponent inside out. Guyton’s balanced run scheme experience and remarkable pass blocking stats, just two career sacks allowed on over 500 pass blocking snaps, with zero sacks allowed in 2023 make him a promising prospect.
POSITIVES:
• 22 years old on draft night
• No major reported injury history
• Excellent athleticism for his size
• Excellent size
• Excellent quickness and depth to his kick-slides
• High effort/high motor
• Mauler mentality, minus a grip and rip that could be feared
• Can get his hat across
• Can beat anyone off the snap with his anticipation and quickness, both in pass sets and run blocking attempts
• Possesses the strength to sustain and turn inside out, but he doesn’t turn inside out as often as he should/could because of hand technique
• Bigger, more physical and more effort than most
• Balanced run scheme experience
• Just 2 career sacks allowed on over 500 pass blocking snaps
• 0 sacks allowed in 2023
Weaknesses
Mar 3, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oklahoma offensive lineman Tyler Guyton (OL31) during the 2024 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Guyton faces several challenges. He needs to rein in wild tendencies at the point of attack and work on hand placement. Guyton possesses limited swing tackle experience and lacks overall experience. When beaten, he tends to become grabby. Precision and recovery skills need refinement, and Guyton should focus on playing controlled with proper knee bend and balance. While not a latch-and-steer type, he possesses the strength and physicality to redirect opponents. Awareness of stunts and blitzes can catch Guyton off guard, but his effort and athleticism help compensate. In 2023, he committed five penalties.
NEGATIVES:
• Needs to reel it in, a wild man out the point of attack
• Hand placement gets outside the shoulders too often
• Very minimal swing experience
• Lacks ideal experience in general, has seen just over 1,000 total snaps in college
• Can be grabby when he gets beat
• Precision ad recovery need work
• Has nice athleticism on his tape, but needs to play controlled with knee bend and a balanced base
• Not a latch and steer guy
• Grip strength hard to gauge because he doesn’t grip inside the pads consistently
• Just a raw overall talent that needs a lot of polishing
• Awareness to stuns/blitzes can catch him off guard, but effort and athleticism help close that deficiency
• 5 penalties in 2023
Projection
Oct 28, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Tyler Guyton (60) at the line of scrimmage against the Kansas Jayhawks during the game at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
2023 was the final season perennial All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith would grace the field for the Cowboys. The pre-draft question was all about where second year All-Pro Tyler Smith would play, left tackle or left guard. Tyler Smith was originally drafted to replace Tyron when it was time to move forward, but Tyler Smith became an All-Pro left guard in the process.
The Cowboys plan became clear after night one of the draft when they drafted Guyton. Guyton was immediately dubbed the Cowboys new left tackle, allowing Tyler Smith to stay at his All-Pro position.
It’s not often a college right tackle switch to left tackle in the NFL, but Guyton is not a usual prospect. He is relatively new to the game, playing just 5 years of football, and a mountain of a man that moves like the wind with his basketball background prior to football.
Guyton has said in interviews that he did practice at left tackle plenty at Oklahoma and he feels “more natural” on the left, a detail the Cowboys had to of known prior to drafting him. Guyton moved to Dallas and began working with renowned and respected offensive line guru, Duke Manyweather of OL Masterminds, located just across the street from The Star in Frisco. Manyweather is an off-season coach to many players, and not just Cowboys. Names like Zack Martin, Tyler Smith and Lane Johnson also put their trust in Manyweather. Manyweather’s meeting with Cowboys offensive line coach Mike Solari should be very telling as well.
Safe to say that Guyton is in good hands and is working diligently to refine his game as a left tackle for the Cowboys. Which is a good thing, Tyron Smith left him some giant shoes to fill. The rookie will see his first regular game action in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns and Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett.
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