Cowboys hot topic: Patience is key when it comes to rookie LT Tyler Guyton
It has been a tough rookie season so far for Tyler Guyton.
The Dallas Cowboys had one of the best left tackles of this generation for over a decade in the future Hall of Famer Tyron Smith. So, turning the page from that type of situation is never easy, and it also made getting another reliable player to protect the blind side of quarterback Dak Prescott necessary. Dallas took Tyler Guyton out of Oklahoma as they were looking to continue their reputation of making excellent choices in offensive lineman in the first round.
While he came into the NFL with a lot of promise, Guyton had some deficiencies like bad footwork at times and displaying bad hand placement. Also, he tended to lean too much when engaged in blocks. Once training camp came about, Guyton’s athleticism and size stood out, but as a rookie, the shortcomings showed up as well. Once the season started, Guyton got the ultimate test when he went up against All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett. Unsurprisingly, Guyton took his lumps against Garrett as he gave up a sack, three pressures, and two hurries. However, considering who Guyton went to battle against, that was a successful outing. He survived.
When looking at the totality of what Guyton has done from a performance standpoint, it's been up and down. Yes, the athleticism is there, and even when he gets beat initially, he can recover quickly. However, Guyton has allowed four sacks, 13 pressures, and committed eight penalties. Of course, this isn't ideal by any means, but it's similar to what All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith went through in 2022 as a rookie. Remember, he started out at left tackle, and for the season, he gave up six sacks, 11 quarterback hits, 39 pressures, 22 hurries, and he was flagged for 13 penalties.
What is also important to remember is that Guyton played right tackle when he was at Oklahoma. So, he is learning a new position, which will take time to get used to, and the only way to do that is to keep getting reps. Unfortunately, Guyton recently dealt with an injury that kept him out against the Detroit Lions, which is a small setback for him. In his absence, Smith slid back over to left tackle. However, the Cowboys have already said that Guyton will be back as the starter at left tackle after the bye week.
Patience paid off when it came to Smith, and he's turned into one of the best at his position. It may take a little longer for Guyton to get there seeing as he didn't even start playing football until his senior year in high school, plus, as mentioned, he's learning a new position. The growing pains will continue, but Guyton still has a shot to be a very reliable left tackle once his development comes full circle.
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