One of the biggest misconceptions about Dallas Cowboys training camp is that the left tackle competition is a real competition. Brian Schottenheimer keeps saying that Nate Thomas is still in this battle, but it feels inevitable that Tyler Guyton will be protecting Dak Prescott's blindside in Week 1.
Schottenheimer told ESPN's Todd Archer on Thursday that Thomas needs to play better to earn first-team reps, but prefaced that by saying that the Cowboys would not officially name Guyton the starting left tackle. But we should know better than to fall for this, because Schotty doesn't have to say it for it to be true.
Dallas wants to keep the competition alive to light a fire under the 2024 first-round pick, but Guyton is still the overwhelming favorite to be the starter, especially considering how Thomas has looked in training camp. So there's no need for Schotty to keep dancing around the inevitable.
The Dallas Cowboys don't have to pretend the LT battle is still ongoing
The Cowboys can try to keep this race alive, but nobody's falling for it: this is Tyler Guyton's job to lose. There is a lot of untapped potential here, but he needs to improve as a pass-blocker to take a step up in Year 1--and also prove that he isn't the weak link on one of the NFL's up-and-coming offensive lines.
Schottenheimer's squad used a first-round pick on Guyton in the 2024 NFL Draft, and they aren't ready to pull the plug on him just yet. It's too early to give up on him when the 6-foot-7, 327-pound tackle has just 21 career starts under his belt, especially considering the competition he's facing.
Neither Thomas nor fourth-round rookie Drew Shelton is in any position to steal his job right now. Schottenheimer knows that, but it would look ridiculous if he declared Guyton the winner less than two weeks into camp.
Fortunately for Dallas, Guyton is responding to the challenge in the right way. The 25-year-old was in the gym before camp with two of the NFL's best tackles in Lane Johnson and Dion Dawkins.
If 2026 doesn't go as planned for the Oklahoma product, maybe the window reopens for Thomas or Drew Shelton at left tackle in 2027. But as of right now, Schottenheimer isn't fooling anyone.
As long as Guyton stays healthy, which is a looming question mark, he's going to be Dallas' starting left tackle. It was intriguing to think that there'd be a competition in Oxnard, but Guyton needed less than two weeks of practice to remind the coaching staff that he's the guy.
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