By Alex Al-Kazzaz
The Dallas Cowboys made a move to help strengthen their offensive line. Although they had a chance to go with Graham Barton, the Center from Duke, the Cowboys had other intentions. Dallas made a move and traded their 24th overall pick to the Detroit Lions and a seventh-round pick. In exchange, Dallas received the 29th pick along with a third-round pick. And with the 29th overall pick, Dallas selected Tyler Guyton, offensive tackle, University of Oklahoma.
Making moves in the first round is nothing new to the Dallas Cowboys. A few years ago, Dallas made a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, which resulted in Micah Parsons being taken by Dallas. In 2013, Dallas controversially traded their 18th overall pick to San Francisco, resulting in Dallas moving down to the 31st pick, which resulted in Dallas selecting Travis Frederick, which turned out well for Dallas despite the criticism for the move. In 2010, Dallas made a trade with New England to draft Dez Bryant, and in 2012, Dallas traded their 14th overall pick and second-round pick to the Rams to draft Morris Claiborne sixth overall. Moving around in the first round is simply business as usual for Dallas.
Guyton began his collegiate career at Texas Christian University. In 2020, he redshirted as a true freshman. He appeared in eight games the following season, including one as a starter, in which he caught a touchdown pass. Following the 2021 season, Guyton left TCU and transferred to the University of Oklahoma, appearing in ten games in 2022 and 2023. While playing at OU, he started 14 games, mainly as a right tackle.
His pre and post-draft analyses on ESPN both speak for themselves. Despite concerns about Guyton only starting 14 games in college, he excels at pass protection, and his agility can't be overlooked. His draft profile on NFL.com elaborates his playing and athletic abilities quite well, and it's clear that his profile reports that his talents are what Dallas needs from an offensive line.
Guyton is the fifth offensive lineman Dallas has selected in the first round since 2011. Dallas took a risk moving down to take a chance at selecting Guyton, and while Guyton might not be the player that critics and Cowboys fans hoped for, this is a respectable pick as Dallas addressed offensive line needs.