Cowboys suddenly questioning work ethic of benched 1st-round pick?
When the Cowboys selected Tyler Guyton with their first pick in the 2024 draft, a significant number of fans and draftniks were upset. Guyton wasn’t seen as a very “NFL ready” prospect. Like the first rounder who came before him, Mazi Smith, he was more wishful thinking than responsible use of draft resources.
If anything, the most redeeming quality of Guyton was his urgency to develop and his work ethic, far more than his skillset or realistic developmental arch. Immediately upon his selection, Guyton arrived at North Texas staple OL Masterminds to work with offensive line guru Duke Manyweather.
Guyton’s drive to hit the ground running in training camp, combined with the consul he sought via such a reputable sensei in Manyweather, made him a darling in Cowboys Nation and topic of conversation throughout training camp.
Now it seems, that work ethic and/or optimistic progression might be in question. When discussing Guyton’s absence from the field during Sunday afternoon’s butt-kicking, Calvin Watkins was told this:
“Like I told Tyler [Guyton] last week: you have to practice every day,” Mike McCarthy said. “You’re not going to get where you want to be, because it’s all about those five linemen getting out there every single day and getting those reps. When that doesn’t happen it can be bumpy, and that’s what we’re going through right now.”
One can certainly infer this is in regard to the old adage, “you don’t practice, you don’t play.” Offensive line play is something that requires continuity and as such, just because a young player can physically play, doesn’t mean he is mentally ready.
Guyton was active in Week 6, but not necessarily a viable option. The Cowboys opted for Tyler Smith to start at left tackle. In Smith’s place at left guard they put OL6, T.J. Bass. When the beatdown reached its event horizon, the Cowboys brought Asim Richards in close out the game at LT.
Guyton remained on the sideline.
Continuity is a valid argument until someone like Richards, a player with 18 snaps at LT, replaces Guyton, a player with 291 snaps at LT, on the quarterback’s blindside. Suddenly it seems a message is being sent to the Cowboys No. 1 draft pick.
While it’s possible this is reading into the situation more than it warrants, the question of Guyton’s work ethic is a reasonable one to make. Are the Cowboys sending him a message? Guyton has the physical characteristics of a good NFL LT, but what does he lack in other regards?
Maybe this is all sensationalism, and Guyton is a guy we always thought he was.
Maybe the Cowboys are just dealing with him like a long-term project who needs recovery time and refinement?
Or maybe they’re trying to light a fire and get this draft pick to go the extra mile in his development.
It’s safe to say every explanation is on the table.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys suddenly questioning work ethic of benched 1st-round pick?
