FRISCO — Jerry Jones didn’t come right out and say it Thursday night, but he likes Jonathon Brooks.

A lot.

No, he really, really likes the Texas running back.

The Dallas Cowboys drafted Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton, not Brooks, who turned pro after suffering a season-ending knee injury late last season. But that didn’t stop Jones from maybe tipping his hand for the future. The Cowboys owner/general manager called his sit-down conversation with the Longhorn “the best interview I’ve ever had (with a prospect) in my 30 years.”

Jones gushed even more, and son Stephen, the team’s second in command, chimed in that Brooks is “one helluva football player. He’s outstanding and has worked his tail off to get back. He’s a tough football player.”

Jerry Jones finally may have shown his cards when he said, “We’ve got him high, high, high on our list.”

Before he could go any farther, Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay added to end the press conference, “As are several other players who are still left.”

So much for subterfuge.

Dallas entered Friday's second and third rounds certainly in need of a featured running back, even one like Brooks, who excelled last year as a more than capable replacement for the departed Bijan Robinson before tearing up his knee against TCU in November. The 6-foot, 216-pound Longhorn played only 15 college games in his career in the shadow of Robinson and Roschon Johnson and 515 total snaps, but he delivered in a powerful way and helped get Texas to its first-ever College Football Playoff.

Brooks is understandably regarded by many as the top running back available in this draft, which continues with the second and third rounds Friday, ahead even of Michigan’s Blake Corum, Florida State’s Trey Benson and Oregon’s Bucky Irving.

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Dallas didn’t draft a running back in Thursday’s first round, but it did select someone who will be blocking for whoever carries the ball for the Cowboys this fall. They considered trades from four teams before trading down with the Detroit Lions from the 24th position and scooped up versatile Oklahoma offensive tackle and Manor’s own Tyler Guyton with the 29th pick.

The offensive line-hungry Cowboys could've had Duke center Graham Barton, Missouri edge rusher Darius Robinson or Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold, whom the Lions chose at No. 24.

Dallas rolls the dice with Tyler Guyton

Guyton is a more than solid pick. But he's a big gamble because he’s expected to replace Tyron Smith and started just one game in college at left tackle. He did, however, protect lefty Dillon Gabriel’s blind side and started 29 games, including nine at TCU. Of course, Smith himself played right tackle at USC and still earned seven straight Pro Bowl selections at the left spot after the Cowboys drafted him in 2011.

But head coach Mike McCarthy raved about the 6-8, 330-pound Guyton, and, man, is that ever a position of need after Smith and Tyler Biadasz walked out the door as free agents.

“He’s got a tremendous ceiling,” the coach said.

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McCarthy mentioned Guyton’s length and great footwork as well as the athletic ability of this Austin-area product who played some basketball.

Asked about taking over for Smith, Guyton said on a conference call with media at the Star, “Those are big shoes to fill, having to replace a legendary tackle like that, but I’ll do the best I can.”

The Cowboys did get an extra third-round pick out of the swap, which compensates for not having a selection in the fourth round. That'll come in handy because, before that, Jerry Jones said the team felt “kind of naked” in the middle rounds. Recouping a third-rounder helps this team, which could use considerable help at running back, linebacker and receiver and might even take another lineman, Jones said.

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He likes what he sees in Guyton, and he and Stephen said they strongly wanted to stay in the first round.

“We had five players, and we wanted to make sure we got one of them,” said Stephen, who included in that grouping Duke's Barton, a Tampa Bay pick. “We didn’t want out of the first round.”

Jerry Jones one-upped his son.

“This is a sexy pick,” he said of Guyton.

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The Cowboys drafted Tyler Guyton out of need

The Dallas brain trust sure needs a strong infusion of optimism after the way the team ended last season.

Last we saw of these Cowboys, nobody wanted to see them ever again.

The Cowboys lost to the Packers. It was a competitive game for almost a whole quarter. Then they lost the offseason. No big splash there.

On Thursday they didn’t lose the draft, but they didn’t win it, either. And they approach the 2024 season without Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb signed to long-term contracts.

And zero momentum, to be honest.

How ’bout those Cowboys? They’re on a roll.

Dallas' Super Bowl window is closing

Dallas, for sure, needs some replenishing.

Despite going 12-5 and making what’s become a customary early exit in the playoffs with the beatdown by the Packers, the Cowboys are slipping. Their window of opportunity might be closing despite three All-Pro players, two of them linemen and one of them Prescott for the first time in his career.

Dallas could have drafted Texas wideout Adonai Mitchell, one of the five best receivers in UT history and a solid receiver who’s still on the board. But apparently it’s happy with Brandin Cooks as its No. 2 behind Lamb. Or maybe tight end Jake Ferguson’s the No. 2 target now.

Or maybe the Cowboys could have gotten their hands on Longhorns blazer Xavier Worthy, who had the softest landing of anybody Thursday night when he heard his name called for the Kansas City Chiefs. Yeah, the back-to-back defending Super Bowl champions. Those Chiefs.

Patrick Mahomes has to be smiling from ear to ear since he’ll now have the X-man and Marquise Brown as targets to go with Travis Kelce. Can anyone say three-peat?

Dallas could use another wideout and has to worry about the long term since Lamb is unsigned beyond this fifth-year option, same as edge rusher Parsons and Prescott. Jones might have painted himself into a corner by having to pay not just top dollar in the future, but even more money than he was unwilling to shell out this offseason.

Will anybody ever really trust Dak again after his total meltdown against the Packers at home when he looked more like a rookie than an eighth-year veteran who'll turn 31 in July? Could be difficult when Green Bay’s youngster, Jordan Love, so thoroughly outplayed Prescott, who seems miffed at the stagnant stance his club took in free agency.

Dallas still has a shot at Brooks if he’s around for the Cowboys’ next slot at No. 56 on Friday. It’s hard to imagine it’s content with, uh, Rico Dowdle in the backfield. He does have 96 carries in his NFL career.

Unless, of course, Jones signs aging Zeke Elliott, the former Cowboy with whom they’re having conversations.  Both Joneses were coy about that option, but Jerry did say Dallas’ interest was “real.”

The question in Cowboys fans’ minds might be is Dallas still a real contender?

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Dallas Cowboys pick Manor's Tyler Guyton in first round of NFL draft