Blogging The Boys
There are some things to work out at offensive tackle.
Safe (4)
Tyler Guyton, Terence Steele, Nate Thomas, Drew Shelton
While there will be competition at left tackle and questions still exist around the long-term stability at right tackle, the 53-man roster spots are safe at the top of the room.
Tyler Guyton is the one with the biggest microscope on him going into training camp. The 2024 first-round pick has yet to put together a fully healthy training camp, much less a fully healthy season. After head coach Brian Schottenheimer said during OTAs that Guyton’s starting job is up for grabs, the need for progression is bigger than it has ever been for the Oklahoma product. Through two seasons, Guyton has allowed 57 quarterback pressures and eight sacks.
On the other side, Terence Steele should be able to hold down his starting job at right tackle because of his strong run blocking ability. However, lapses exist in his pass protection, as he’s given up 93 quarterback pressures and 15 sacks over the past two seasons. He’s been a staple of durability since tearing his ACL in 2022, though, as he’s started every game over the past three seasons.
At left tackle, 2024 seventh-round pick Nate Thomas is Guyton’s biggest threat for the starting job. After being moved from guard to tackle before training camp last season, Thomas quickly ascended up the depth chart. He is now in position to be the starting left tackle, at best, or the backup swing tackle with a strong training camp. The staff’s confidence in Thomas didn’t quite translate onto the field; across 219 pass block snaps last season, Thomas allowed 23 pressures and three sacks.
The dark horse in the room is fourth-round rookie Drew Shelton. In a draft class that had an overflowing bucket of right tackle talent, the Cowboys took a day-three swing on Shelton, who primarily played left tackle at Penn State. Across 356 pass block snaps as a senior, Shelton allowed just 18 pressures and one sack. With a lack of confidence at the top of the depth chart, a path exists for Shelton to make a big impact as a rookie with a strong training camp.
These will certainly be some interesting things to watch.
Dallas Cowboys training camp is days away, and with it comes the annual opportunity to separate fact from fiction. Every offseason, Cowboys coaches drop hints about how they plan to use certain players, and every year, some of those hints turn out to be a whole bunch of nothing.
Or at the very least, nothing compared to what Cowboys fans and media make them out to...
