No team in the NFL has invested more into their offensive line than the Dallas Cowboys over the last five years. The Cowboys have spent three first-round picks on the unit since the 2022 draft and have used another third-round choice (Cooper Beebe) on their starting center. There are several teams across the league who have not taken a single first-round offensive lineman in the last decade, let alone three in five years.
But the Cowboys believe their offensive line, specifically their interior offensive line, can be the strength of their team. The truth is, it better be, considering all of the resources and assets they’ve used to address the group. Despite all of the resources spent, this has not been an elite unit over the last few years. However, Dallas is hopeful that it will change in 2026.
In a recent article by offensive line expert Brandon Thorn, he ranked all 32 offensive lines heading into the NFL over on Establish The Run. The Cowboys did make an appearance inside the top 10, coming in at No. 9.
Thorn also joined the Locked On Cowboys Podcast recently and mentioned that he would have ranked this unit higher if the rankings weren’t slanted toward pass protection over run blocking (Establish The Run is a fantasy football website, and his OL rankings are weighted more towards passing).
Tyler Guyton will determine the ceiling of the Cowboys' talented offensive line
One of the reasons why Thorn was so optimistic about the Cowboys’ offensive line this year was due to the interior offensive linemen on the roster, including Tyler Smith and Tyler Booker. This has a chance to be the best guard duo in all of the league, and if Cooper Beebe can continue to develop (Thorn is high on Beebe), there is no reason they can't dominate upfront.
However, for the Cowboys to take that next step, it’s going to need to be Tyler Guyton who takes a huge step in Year 3. Here is a snippet of what he had to say about the former first-round pick on the Locked On Cowboys Podcast:
“I think the 80% of it, if not more, is Tyler Guyton taking the step and becoming a more consistent player. (A player) who is available, who's playing the vast majority of games, attending practice, all that sort of stuff. He's not dinged up and his play takes a jump. He just becomes more consistent, and specifically in pass protection. I think that's the key for this offensive line.”
Thorn mentioned in his article that Guyton is one of the most high-variance offensive tackles in the NFL and that he simply needs more reps for that not to be the case. And as previously mentioned, he has to find a way to stay on the field and play through injuries if he ever wants to break through and get over the hump.
Dallas should have a relatively high floor as an offensive line because of their three interior offensive linemen. It’s also worth mentioning that Thorn believes T.J. Bass is one of the league’s best backups, and that insulates the unit even more. But Guyton is the key to this unit. His development will be critical if the Cowboys want to take the next step on offense.
If he finally stays on the field and can improve, there is no reason why this can’t be the best offensive line in the league. But if it’s more of the same from Guyton, expect Brian Schottenheimer and Dak Prescott to be forced to cover up the weakness of the tackles once again this season.
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