FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer pointed to the second week of training camp on Tuesday as the point where Tyler Guyton started reading pass rushers by matchup.
Guyton is the starting left tackle. Schottenheimer said Monday that Terence Steele and Broderick Jones will compete on the right side.
“We sensed it, Todd, in the OTAs,” Schottenheimer said. “But like I talked a little bit about yesterday, until you start playing real football and put pads on and stuff, I would say probably that second week of training camp is where we were like, whoa, okay. It was just the way the confidence that he was taking in his sets and the counters that he was countering.”
“So when a defensive end rushes up field and tries to counter and go inside and his ability to move his feet and slam the door shut on that. Going up against different guys and watching him go up against EZ and then watch him go up against RG and Malachi and guys like that,” Schottenheimer continued. “You saw a guy that was beginning to understand the matchup element. Okay, well, this guy’s going to rush me this way. This guy’s, because they’re very different. They rush different ways.”
“It’s no different than a receiver learning how a corner plays technique-wise,” Schottenheimer said. “When you’re a tackle, you have to understand who you’re going against and what’s their fastball, what’s their changeup, what’s their curveball. And I’d say probably second week or so of training camp, we were kind of like, okay, this is what it’s supposed to look like.”
Guyton has worked against Donovan Ezeiruaku, Rashan Gary, and Malachi Lawrence through camp.
How The Dallas Cowboys Acquired Tyler Guyton
Detroit held the 29th pick in the 2024 draft. Dallas moved back five spots to take Guyton there, sending the 24th selection and a 2025 seventh-rounder to the Lions and getting the 73rd pick back in the deal. That selection became Cooper Beebe.
Guyton has played 25 games with 21 starts. Dallas placed him on injured reserve on Dec. 24, 2025, and activated him on Feb. 15, 2026.
Guyton spent 2020 and 2021 at TCU before transferring to Oklahoma. He appeared in 29 college games and started 14 of his 20 games as a Sooner. Only 13 of those starts came at tackle.
Tyler Guyton’s Elbow And His Availability
Guyton played through an elbow injury in camp.
“Absolutely. He knows. He’s been as aware of it as anybody that his availability has not been the best,” Schottenheimer said. “And he didn’t blink with the elbow. And I think that’s all part of the maturation process of a young player. You get into that third year and you’re kind of like, okay, this is time for this guy to kind of put it all together. And he’s growing fast. And I say it every time you guys ask me, but I’m just super proud of him.”
The Pass Rushers Tyler Guyton Faces In Practice
Ezeiruaku was a second-round pick out of Boston College in 2025 and won the Ted Hendricks Award his final college season. He played 17 games as a rookie with 2.0 sacks.
Gary came to Dallas by trade this offseason after seven years in Green Bay. Green Bay drafted him 12th overall in 2019. He has 46.5 career sacks and made the Pro Bowl in 2024.
Lawrence was a first-round pick out of UCF this spring.
The Dallas Cowboys’ Right Tackle Competition
Steele has played 96 career games. He arrived undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2020 and signed a five-year extension worth $86.8 million that runs through 2028.
Jones was the 14th overall pick in 2023 and started 38 of his 45 games for Pittsburgh. A neck injury in Week 12 last season required spinal fusion surgery. The Steelers declined his fifth-year option in the spring, and Dallas acquired him on Aug. 29.
Dallas allowed 30.1 points per game last season, the most in the league.
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.
