FRISCO, Texas — It’s an easy time to be critical of the Dallas Cowboys. Whether it’s the team’s embarrassing wild-card playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers in January, its lack of roster moves since the start of free agency or that CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott are without contract extensions.
But the Cowboys deserve credit for something they did this weekend, and that’s how they handled the 24th overall pick. Not only did they use their first-round selection to address their biggest need, left tackle, but they added a third-round pick in the process, potentially acquiring their future starting center.
“I think we got the most out of that 24th pick in the first round,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “We weren’t even trying to be coy about our interest in offensive linemen. This is the year to be interested in them because of the depth in the draft. And we took advantage of that in every respect with the great trade.”
Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton, who Dallas picked at No. 29, will be given every opportunity to win the team’s starting left tackle job. In the trade back from 24 to 29 with Detroit, the Cowboys gained the 73rd overall pick, which was used on Kansas State interior offensive lineman Cooper Beebe. He will compete for the starting job at center. He could also be a future replacement at right guard, depending on how much longer All-Pro right guard Zack Martin wants to play.
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How the Cowboys landed their next left tackle in Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton
“They have position-flex, so to speak,” Jones said of Dallas’ two O-line picks. “All of that was well thought out and well executed. When I look at what we did with that 24th pick, to get these two linemen, if you want to look at it like that, that’s pretty good execution.”
Longtime Dallas left tackle Tyron Smith signed with the New York Jets in free agency. Even if he had remained with the Cowboys for another season, the position needed to be addressed with a potential heir apparent. Guyton is far from a finished product. He’ll be making the move from playing right tackle in college. But the Cowboys believe he has all of the traits to become a quality left tackle.
“Just refining my technique, repetition, over and over, doing so much that I can’t get it wrong,” Guyton said Friday of the move to left tackle. “It’s just switching your footwork, switching your hands, your technique and also flipping the plays in your mind.
“I actually feel like I’m better at left tackle, I’m more comfortable over there, so I feel like the switch will be pretty easy.”
Cowboys first-round pick Tyler Guyton looking at the franchise’s five Lombardi Trophies pic.twitter.com/zmIoBPb3VE
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 26, 2024
Entering free agency, the Cowboys were expected to move on from starting center Tyler Biadasz, who signed with Washington. Dallas felt it could find another center in the middle of this year’s draft. Gaining an extra third-round pick allowed them the opportunity to get a player like Beebe. His most natural position is probably guard. But with Martin and second-team All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith already on the roster, center makes the most sense for Beebe in Year 1. He worked at center in practices at Kansas State and during the pre-draft process.
“I’m going to do whatever the team needs me to do to win,” Beebe said Friday night.
The Cowboys went into the offseason needing to get younger on the offensive line, but they also needed to find starters. They’re now in position to potentially have a starting offensive line of Terence Steele at right tackle, Martin at right guard, Beebe at center, Tyler Smith at left guard and Guyton at left tackle. Behind them will likely be interior offensive linemen T.J. Bass, Brock Hoffman, Chuma Edoga and tackles Asim Richards and Matt Waletzko. Josh Ball could get work at guard or tackle.
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There will likely be some growing pains along the way. It’s not like they filled their two starting spots with top 16 picks like Martin or Tyron Smith. But they entered Thursday with the 24th pick as their most valuable asset. They turned it into Guyton and Beebe, two players The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had ranked among his top 38 in the entire draft class. Even the harshest of critics has to give them some credit for that.
“Obviously two very young, talented players,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “Both have starter ability. I know for me, personally, when you look at the length of the season, the challenges we’ve had in the past. You have to pay attention to the number of consecutive starts that we’ve had as an offensive unit. I think we have clearly given us the depth that we need. I think it will be the most competitive offensive line room in my time here.”
(Top photos of Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe: James Black, David Rosenblum / Getty Images)
