The Dallas Cowboys moved on from one of the best left tackles in the NFL ahead of the 2024 season, allowing Tyron Smith to hit free agency. They replaced him with rookie first-round pick Tyler Guyton, who had the athleticism to start at left tackle but needed to refine his technique.

It’s been a bit of a roller coaster ride for Guyton, who has flashed his potential, but also has had his struggles in pass protection, earning just a 50.0 in this area from PFF in 2025. He’s also been unable to stay healthy, missing seven games this past season.

Entering his third season in the league, Guyton has to take the next step, otherwise, Nick Harris of Dallas Morning News believes he could find himself fighting to keep his job.

”While no one in the Cowboys’ front office or on the coaching staff has explicitly stated that Tyler Guyton will have to fight for his starting left tackle job this offseason, they haven’t overtly committed to him either,” Harris wrote.

“After struggling on the field last season and battling injuries for the second year in a row throughout the campaign, Guyton could have to fight off young talent behind him on the depth chart. Swing tackle Nate Thomas inherited a lot of reps last season by way of Guyton’s health and performance, and he will be right there to put up a fight again this offseason.”

In addition to Thomas, whom the coaching staff likes, Guyton will have to fend off rookie Drew Shelton. While he was a fourth-round pick, Shelton had a lot of experience during his days with Penn State. Shelton is also someone the coaching staff sees as a potential starter, which should put Guyton on notice.

Tackle position could hold the offense back in 2026

Dallas boasts three impressive interior linemen with All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith, right guard Tyler Booker, and center Cooper Beebe. They have been vital to the offense’s success, especially when it came to the ground game in 2025.

On the edge, however, there are concerns. Not only has Guyton been a question mark at left tackle, but Terence Steele hasn’t been the same at right tackle since suffering a serious knee injury in 2022. He signed a lucrative extension in 2023, but recently restructured to take a pay cut.

There’s plenty of pressure on both Guyton and Steele this year, and if they can’t live up to the expectations, it might be the one thing to slow down this offense.