Overview
- Head coach Brian Schottenheimer announced Thursday that Tyler Guyton and Nate Thomas will compete for the starting left tackle spot and that Guyton must earn the role.
- Guyton was a 2024 first-round pick who has made about 21 starts but missed roughly nine games over his first two seasons because of knee and ankle issues and has shown inconsistent pass protection and penalty control.
- Nate Thomas, a 2024 seventh-round pick, appeared in all 17 games last season with four starts but drew poor pass-protection grades from evaluators, making him a riskier but available internal option.
- The Cowboys added fourth-round rookie Drew Shelton this year as depth and maintain a last-resort plan to shift Pro Bowl guard Tyler Smith to tackle even though both Smith and the team prefer he stay at guard.
- Coaches say the true evaluation will come in padded practices and training camp, a period that will determine the starter and affect the team's pass-protection strategy for the 2026 season.