OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — There’s no doubt that Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyler Guyton has the potential to be a great player.
The NFL’s first-round draft pick is a physical wonder. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said Guyton has the mentality needed to anchor an offensive line. And with his main competition at left tackle out due to injury, Guyton has a chance to be the starter on opening day.
The question is how quickly Guyton can put it all together.
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“I feel like if you think about it too much, it usually messes you up. So I’m just going to do my best and put my best foot forward,” Guyton said.
While it was always likely that Guyton would be on the field for the first snap on Sept. 8 in Cleveland, a serious toe injury suffered by Chuma Edoga in Sunday’s season opener at the Los Angeles Rams resulted in Guyton making significantly more appearances in first-team practice this week.
Those workouts, including a joint practice with the Rams on Wednesday, showed why Guyton was drafted No. 29 overall and still needs to work on his performance.
Guyton committed a holding penalty against Rams first-round pick Jared Verse after failing to get his hands on the edge rusher on an inside move during a live team period. But Guyton responded in one-on-one drills by quickly negating Verse’s spin move with quick leg play and then throwing him to the ground.
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“I mean, his kicking, sliding and redirecting skills are impressive,” Schottenheimer said of the 6-foot-4, 315-pound Guyton. “He’s an incredible athlete. There are a few things we need to improve on with his hands, his shot, things like that.”
On Thursday, some of those issues were evident against his Cowboys teammate Micah Parsons, an elite pass rusher. What’s more important for Guyton is getting as many good chances as possible after he started playing football his senior year of high school and played 29 games in four seasons for TCU and Oklahoma.
“Iron sharpens iron, so I’m competing against the best of the best,” Guyton said. “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but we’re getting better every game.”
Despite his limited experience, Schottenheimer was impressed by the determination Guyton brought to his first preseason game.
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“During training, he’s out there working hard,” Schottenheimer said. “But on game day, he looked different than he did on Sunday. He was out there with a mean streak and played like that and finished strong.”
With just over three weeks left until the start of the regular season, Guyton said he is focused on improving everything.
“In particular, I would say my hand position and the consistency of my passing combinations,” Guyton said.
Schottenheimer believes Guyton has the attitude and work ethic needed to succeed as a rookie in a high-level position.
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“He just has to take a lot of reps, and that’s all part of the position,” Schottenheimer said. “Being on an island has a lot of leeway because you’re a left tackle and people know where you are, but I think he has tremendous potential because of his disposition.”
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