FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys carried a first-round grade on Broderick Jones when he came out of Georgia in 2023, executive vice president Stephen Jones said Tuesday on DLLS Sports.
Dallas has long looked for players with a blue-chip background, Jones said, and the tackle it traded for last week was a five-star recruit.
“He was 14th pick in the draft, and we felt like that was the right place for him to boot because we had a first-round grade on him, and we don’t give a lot of first-round grades,” Jones said. “So we think it’s all there for him. We did feel like the room needed improvement. Terence Steele has obviously had his struggles, but I know he’s an incredible human being and who competes and is going to go out there and compete every day. But we felt like we needed to improve that spot. And that’s where he’ll be competing is that right tackle spot.”
“Hats off to Tyler Guyton,” Jones continued. “He’s solidified the left tackle position. He’s playing the best football he’s played since he’s been here, and we have no worries or concerns at the left tackle spot, but really felt like we didn’t have someone really stepping up. Obviously, we traded Nate Thomas. He competed here, but we felt like that needed improvement. And then we just feel like Drew Shelton’s going to be a player for us in the future. But he’s going to need to develop like a lot of guys do when they come in this league.”
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Monday that Terence Steele is “right tackle 1A” and that Broderick Jones has to show he can hold the job.
What The Dallas Cowboys Gave Up For Broderick Jones
Pittsburgh traded Broderick Jones to Dallas on Aug. 29. Dallas gave up 2027 third- and sixth-round picks, while Pittsburgh sent back a 2027 fourth-rounder with Jones.
Jones was the No. 14 pick in 2023 after winning two national championships at Georgia and earning first-team All-SEC honors in 2022. He spent three seasons with Pittsburgh, playing in 45 games and starting 38.
An awkward hit to his neck on Nov. 23 against Chicago ended his 2025 season. Jones went on injured reserve, had fusion surgery, and was activated on Feb. 15. Pittsburgh declined his fifth-year option in April, which puts him on track for unrestricted free agency after this season.
Tyler Guyton, Nate Thomas, And The Rest Of The Tackle Room
Steele signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech in 2020 and has played 95 games with 90 starts. He signed a five-year extension worth $86.8 million in 2023 and had the deal reworked earlier this offseason, and he is under contract through 2028.
Dallas used the No. 29 pick in the 2024 draft on Tyler Guyton out of Oklahoma. He has appeared in 25 games with 21 starts. Injuries kept him out of 15 regular-season games over his first two years. Schottenheimer opened the left tackle job to competition this offseason. Guyton was back at the team facility in Frisco by February, before voluntary work began.
Dallas traded Nate Thomas to the Houston Texans on Aug. 30 for a 2027 seventh-round pick. Thomas was a seventh-round pick out of Louisiana in 2024, 233rd overall.
Drew Shelton is a rookie. Dallas took the Penn State tackle in the fourth round of the 2026 draft, 112th overall.
Dallas opens the regular season at the New York Giants on Sept. 13. Kickoff at MetLife Stadium is set for 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.
