The Dallas Cowboys had one night in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Cowboys moved down five spots and acquired an additional third-round pick to acquire Oklahoma State OT Tyler Guyton, who is expected to be the left tackle of the future.
Following the evening's events, Jerry and Stephen Jones, along with head coach Mike McCarthy, met with the media to discuss their Round 1 night.
Cowboys discuss first round of 2024 NFL Draft
The night was a success by anyone's standards. The team was able to acquire the tackle they expected and acquire an additional draft pick. Stephen says they trusted the board to make the move and the fact that they had four players left when time expired meant they could have taken a step back.
Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said the team had four players he really liked in moving down five spots. I believe in the board. “It certainly paid off for us.” pic.twitter.com/f3EifYjM5v
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) April 26, 2024
McCarthy agreed, and was more excited about the player than anything else.
Stephen Jones said the Cowboys had four players he really liked at age 24, but he's happy that at least one is still around at age 29. Tyler Guyton was one of those players.
Mike McCarthy: “God, what a great pick for us. This is a great addition to our offensive line room.”
Jerry Jones:… pic.twitter.com/JtJhWGGxRG
— John Machota (@jonmachota) April 26, 2024
Jerry summed it up the way only he knows, saying, “This is an attractive pick for an offensive lineman because he has a lot of upside.”
When given the opportunity to explain the new addition in more detail, McCarthy was quick to point to Guyton's athleticism as a big plus.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said of new LT Tyler Guyton: …He has a tremendous ceiling. ” 6-7 with great footwork. I want to learn. O-line coach Mike Solari built a rapport with him. Oklahoma State coaches raved about him. pic.twitter.com/Nsf4RkTF2N
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) April 26, 2024
The move to demote and risk losing Guyton, and the other players they wanted, was a bit of a gamble, but they knew what it meant for the rest of the team's draft. Jerry seemed to accept that.
“We had four trades going on at the same time,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said of the war room deliberations for the No. 24 overall pick. They didn't want to go back too far. The Lions gave him a third round pick.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) April 26, 2024
This move was strategic, as the team understood that there was a huge difference between the No. 87 pick and the next pick, No. 174, and they could trade a third-round pick by moving just five spots. I felt that the idea of acquiring one was too good to hand over to Stephen. And Co.
In addition to the value, it's clear what the team has planned for Guyton as they view him as their future LT.
“We are happy to have Tyler join us.” [Guyton] Go to LT and keep Tyler [Smith] Where is he?” – Stephen Jones
And there it is. Tyler Smith will obviously remain at left guard and has a chance to be a bit Larry Allen-esque. #Cowboys.
Editor: Everyone, please cooperate with me.
— Patrick [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) April 26, 2024
It's clear that the Cowboys' decision-makers were very happy with how the night went and now feel they have the pieces in place for their offensive line to grow for years to come. With the rest of the draft coming up, you may be wondering what they do next.
