The Dallas Cowboys‘ quiet offseason has left them with myriad needs entering the 2024 NFL Draft, but PFN NFL Insider Adam Caplan thinks Jerry Jones and Co. will lean in one particular direction next week.
In his latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft, Caplan has the Cowboys finding a long-term replacement for left tackle Tyron Smith at pick No. 24 in the first round. Which prospect is Caplan sending to Dallas?
NFL Insider Adam Caplan Has Cowboys Drafting OT Tyler Guyton
Smith, who inked a one-year deal with the New York Jets, wasn’t the only offensive lineman the Cowboys lost this offseason. Center Tyler Biadasz, a 53-game starter in Dallas, is also gone after signing a three-year contract with the division-rival Washington Commanders.
While the Cowboys might move left guard Tyler Smith to left tackle, the club might also consider finding a new blindside protector in the upcoming draft, allowing Smith to stick on the interior, where he was a second-team All-Pro in 2023.
In that vein, Caplan has Dallas selecting Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton with their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“(Smith) has improved so dramatically that the coaches may ultimately decide to keep him inside,” Caplan wrote. “In any event, Guyton has a ton of upside and would certainly upgrade their offensive line for the future.”
Guyton, who started his career at Tulane before transferring to Oklahoma in 2022, was only a single-season starter for the Sooners. While he made one start at left tackle and played there during the Senior Bowl, most of Guyton’s collegiate action came on the right side.
At 6’7″and 328 pounds, Guyton has the size and flexibility to eventually move to left tackle. If the Cowboys want to keep Smith at left guard, Guyton could become their long-term option on the left side.
Other OT prospects, like Alabama’s JC Latham, Washington’s Troy Fautanu, and Georgia’s Amarius Mims, came off the board just before Dallas made its selection in Caplan’s mock draft.
Caplan has consistently sent offensive tackles to the Cowboys in his mock drafts. Fautanu went to Dallas in Caplan’s first two iterations, while Mims became a Cowboy in Caplan’s third and fourth versions.
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Dallas might not be done adding offensive line reinforcements even if it drafts Guyton in Round 1. The Cowboys need a new center with Biadasz gone and could use a second or third-round selection on an interior player.
