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Cowboys' Tyler Guyton aiming to be 'a better player' amid LT competition | Latest NFL News, Analysis & Updates | NFL.com

Tyler Guyton faces an open left tackle competition with Nathan Thomas and potentially Tyler Smith during Cowboys training camp, with coach Brian Schottenheimer publicly emphasizing the job is not guaranteed despite Guyton entering as the assumed starter.

First seen Jul 30, 2026 · 8:01 PM UTC · last updated Aug 01 6:01 AM

Scoring Zone's Take

The headline fantasy name in this cluster is Dak Prescott, and the takeaway is entirely about offensive line stability rather than any Prescott-specific news. Tyler Guyton, last year's presumptive left tackle, is in a genuinely open competition with Nathan Thomas and possibly Tyler Smith sliding over, with Schottenheimer explicitly declining to hand Guyton the job. An unsettled left tackle spot matters for Dak's pass-protection profile and, by extension, his weekly ceiling and injury risk — a shaky blind side raises sack and hit totals, which correlates with more erratic QB scoring and added downside risk in best-ball or start-heavy formats.

For draft prep, treat this as a mild yellow flag on Prescott rather than a reason to fade him outright. He remains a startable, mid-tier QB1 target based on talent and offense, but until camp settles the tackle competition, shade your valuation slightly cautious — don't reach for him as a top-5 QB, and prioritize insurance/backup QB depth a round earlier than you otherwise would. Tyler Smith being mentioned as a potential left tackle option is worth tracking: if he's moved off guard, that could quietly weaken interior run-blocking, which touches RB volume and efficiency projections for Dallas backs — monitor before locking in your RB tiers.

None of this is actionable enough to add or drop anyone right now; it's an offseason line-competition story with 70% confidence on the "open competition" framing. Keep Guyton, Smith, and Nathan Thomas on your watch list purely for roster-construction implications, and revisit Prescott's ADP value once the starting tackle picture firms up later in camp.

COWBOYS' GUYTON AIMING TO BE 'BETTER PLAYER' AMID LT BATTLECOWBOYS' TYLER GUYTON AIMING TO BE 'A BETTER PLAYER' AMID LT COMPETITION

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Executive Stephen Jones and head coach Brian Schottenheimer talk to media at Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, California

The relatively quiet offseason surrounding the usually loud Dallas Cowboys has tamped down discussion about one of the most pivotal training camp battles of 2026: Who will protect Dak Prescott’s blind side?

The Cowboys left tackle competition between former first-rounder Tyler Guyton and former seventh-rounder Nathan Thomas kicks off in earnest this week from Oxnard, Calif.

"I mean, it's the same as every day: coming to work and getting better, to try and get one percent better every day," Guyton said following camp's first practice on Wednesday, via the team’s official website.

While Guyton entered 2026 as the assumed starting left tackle, coach Brian Schottenheimer made a very public display that the job would be an open competition early in the spring. The decision underscored that Guyton had work to do both on his game and on staying healthy, after his first two seasons were short-circuited by injury. Schotty’s decision not to simply conduct a competition in the background highlighted the club’s desire to motivate the third-year pro.

From the sounds of it, the tactic has worked thus far.

"I [want to get] more technically sound, more confident in the playbook and the scheme and, overall, just a better player," Guyton said. "It's a process, of course, and we have to take it day by day, one foot in front of the other. But, at the end of the day, I'm trying to get to a certain point where I feel good about going into the season."

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Instigating a competition only works if there is a legitimate threat. While Thomas struggled in four starts last season, he’s reportedly improved his technique and strength this offseason. The club has suggested the 2024 seventh-rounder could reasonably push the man picked six rounds earlier. Dallas also hasn’t silenced chatter that, if both struggle, it could move Tyler Smith out to left tackle, even though his preference is to remain at guard.

Guyton understands that he must improve for the Cowboys to get to where they want to go.

"I'm not all the way where I want to be yet, and that's what camp is for," he said. "I'm still trying to get better every single day, but it [definitely] feels like I'm going into my third year in the NFL. Things are slowing down for me and I'm learning more every day."

The left tackle job sits as the biggest question mark on a potentially explosive Cowboys offense. If they continue to struggle with that spot, it could have a cascading effect on the rest of the unit.

Coverage from Nfl Dot Com News · Jul 30, 2026 · read original