FRISCO, TEXAS — Eight Dallas Cowboys draft picks are at the very beginning of their NFL careers as they head to The Star this weekend to officially sign their rookie contracts and participate in rookie minicamp.
Coming in as a rookie brings a lot of excitement and high expectations. Especially with the Cowboys' current rookie class, immediate contributions from most of their draft picks will be needed.
in coach's corner, we reached out to each of the draft candidates' college position coaches to learn more about their development on and off the field in college, their fit in Dallas, how they matched up with their college years, and what they need to work on. I looked into it in detail. Before you even touch an NFL field.
Next, we spoke with Oklahoma offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh about these topics regarding first-round pick and offensive tackle Tyler Guyton.
Q: What was the mentality he showed early in Norman to prove himself on the field when he transferred from TCU to Oklahoma?
A: Well, he had to grow a lot to get here and grow, and he did. From the first time he got here to the day he left, and I've told a lot of people, it's just an astronomical change. He was young and inexperienced and didn't know how to work. And that's part of my job as a coach is to help them understand the standards and expectations and all the other things that come with being on the O-line at the University of Oklahoma. I thought his first year was okay, but his second year here was really good. He started learning and gaining confidence. He worked hard to reach his current position. I think he still has a long way to go. He started 14 games and has actually played on the O-line for three years. The sky is the limit for him and I know it's a cliché, but this guy can be anything he wants. I've seen the growth and maturity that makes me believe he's going to be a great player in the NFL.
Q: From an offensive line coach's perspective, he's on the right side, protecting the quarterback's blind side, why can he bring some of the same traits to the left side of the offensive line and still be successful? Do you think so?
A: Well, I honestly think that's a little overrated, but I'm not saying I'm right or wrong. Is it easy to transition to both sides? No, it isn't. But like I say, you can just as easily get fired from the left as you can get fired from the right. It's better to have two good tackles to defend against. I think that it is all right. As a matter of fact, we played him at right tackle because Walter Rouse came here and had a lot of experience at left tackle and he hadn't had a spring. I've only been here with him for a year, and only really been on the field for six months, so I didn't want to mess it up.Tyler started at left tackle and started the first game. [in 2022] Anton Harrison is back on the left.and [Tyler], he's not only extremely talented and athletic and has made decent tackles all his life. I don't think the transition will be as difficult for him as some of the other players.
Q: From the beginning to the end of last season – obviously that's a big part of the experience he got in college – where do you think his biggest growth was on the field?
A: I think it's really just his knowledge of soccer. It's obvious that talent matters, but talent alone won't get you anywhere. You have to understand football, you have to understand defense, you have to understand how people are trying to rush you and all of that. I think that was the biggest thing. And he's still inexperienced, so that's going to get better from here, but the football knowledge, the work, the time he's spent learning football is the biggest thing that's improved.
Q: Do you think he was a vocal leader in the locker room last season? What happened for him?
A: Well, it was better than his first year. I think what he did and what other players saw was the way he worked last year compared to the past and obviously the talent and all that. Did he talk sometimes? Yes, he did more than the previous year. He grew in confidence and became a really good player that everyone looked up to. I don't think there was anything wrong with it, but it has been improved.
Q: With his height and athleticism together, how do you think he uses that, especially in the run game?
A: What do you think he is, he's a long guy. But if he does it right, he can play as if he were 6 feet 2 inches tall. He can bend and is flexible. With him, everything will continue to grow. I just focused on maybe slowing him down a little bit this year and being more focused. Last year he played a little more physical and aggressive, but that doesn't mean it wasn't bad. He's a guy who doesn't try to do it technically or fundamentally right. He's very good at it, so that's what I focused on. For an inexperienced player, he will have to work on it bit by bit, but his overall tools and traits don't make him care if it runs or not. Whether it's the passing game, the pull, whatever he's doing, he has everything it takes to be an elite player.
Q: He's still new to the NFL, but what do you think he needs to work on the most before he steps on the field?
A: Everything, it could be any lineman. No matter how much you play, the O-line is always in a state of correction. That's what a lot of coaches around the league told me when I was playing, and it's true. That's true, dude. It's one thing after another. This is a very unnatural position, and it's not like walking around with your knees bent, the pads low, and your hands tucked inside. It's not one thing. The talent is there and it's just honing all the techniques and fundamentals that he's been coached on and working on them consistently. Like I said, once he gets to that point, he's going to have everything you want and be a tough guy to beat.
