It took a little longer than originally expected, but the Cowboys finally acquired a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The first round was full of twists and turns, with six quarterbacks taken in the first 12 picks, but no defensive players in the first 14 picks.
By the time Dallas reached time left, they had every center pick in the draft class and had several options at tackle as well. Rather than select the player they really wanted, the Cowboys traded five spots with the Lions, ultimately selecting Tyler Guyton from Oklahoma State.
This works by trading down
A large part of the valuation of this pick comes down to the fact that the Cowboys squeezed out additional value by trading down. There were plenty of mock drafts where Dallas took Guyton at age 24, so the fact that they were able to set him back and still get him is pretty impressive.
The move is especially smart considering the Cowboys lacked premium draft capital this year after trading a fourth-round pick for Trey Lance. In the trade with Detroit, the Cowboys received the 73rd overall pick in the early third round. This leaves them with three picks in the top 75 and four picks in the top 90, which are huge numbers.
The Cowboys had to give up next year's seventh-round pick in this trade, but it seems like a small price to pay. They could easily get that back in a trade down late in this draft, and next year's expected compensatory picks would also offset the loss. After all, trading here like Dallas did would have further inflated the value of the pick, but the player himself deserves to be excited, too.
Tyler Guyton is a natural fit in Dallas
The last time the Cowboys entered the draft with the 24th overall pick, they took a lineman named Tyler who grew up in Texas and played college ball in Oklahoma, playing a position he had never played in college. asked to do so. Dallas didn't end up going 24th overall Thursday night, but everything else was the same.
Guyton was born in Manor, Texas and first played at TCU before transferring to Oklahoma where he became a capable starter at right tackle. Here, Guyton will be asked to move to left tackle and Tyler Smith will remain at left guard.
Guyton has experience at left tackle, totaling 70 snaps over three years, but this will ultimately be a new position for him. That said, Guyton has experience serving as a blindside protector for quarterbacks. His quarterback with the Sooners was southpaw Dillon Gabriel. Guyton will have to relearn his stance and move from the left side, which won't be an easy task, but there is reason for optimism.
Guyton was considered a fairly raw prospect in this draft with a ton of moldable traits, similar to Tyler Smith on draft night two years ago. Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked Guyton 6th in tackles and 27th in prospects, saying:
Overall, Guyton is developing in some areas and expects a steep learning curve in his rookie season, but he has the athleticism and fundamental skills to develop into a high-level offensive tackle. be. He has the talent to play either left tackle or right tackle, but his comfort level is clearly on the right side. As long as he stays motivated and healthy, he will continue on an upward trajectory.
Guyton oozes upside talent and once he gets used to playing left tackle, he should form a great duo with Smith on the left side of the offensive line. This, combined with the added value of a trade down, made this a very strong opening night for the Cowboys' draft process.
