2024 Dallas Cowboys draft grades: ‘This was excellent drafting.’

A quick look at the grades for the Cowboys’ first-round pick.

Grading a draft a mere hours after after the last pick is generally frowned on by the more hardcore football fan who knows that drafts can’t really be graded until three to four years after the fact. Regardless, what the grades do – to some extent – is capture the national media reaction about a draft immediately after it is over.

What we do know is that many draft analysts had the Cowboys picking Tyler Guyton at #24 in their latest mock drafts (NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, NFL.com’s Peter Schrager, The Ringer’s Danny Kelly, and ESPN’s Field Yates, to name just a few). The Cowboys got Guyton at #29 and an extra third-round pick in the process. Will that influence the draft grades?

On paper at least, the Cowboys “won” the trade with the Lions, as they came out ahead on the deal in every available draft value methodology.

Proponents of the Fitzgerald-Spielberger Chart will also be happy to hear that the Cowboys came out ahead there as well, with the excess value adding up to a mid 4th-round pick.

Check out how 16 different sites graded the Cowboys’ first-round performance.

---

WalterFootball are not known for their Cowboys-friendly stance, but liked the pick anyway: A+

This was a sharp move by the Cowboys. With Troy Fautanu gone, the Cowboys liked Tyler Guyton and Graham Barton the most as candidates for No. 24 overall. They could have taken either there, but they moved down five spots and acquired more assets, and yet they still got their man. This was excellent drafting after last year’s debacle.

NFL.com. Chad Reuter sees an “excellent fit” in Dallas. A

The Cowboys added a third-round pick from Detroit to move down five draft slots. Guyton’s large frame (6-7 3/4, 322) and length (34 1/8-inch arm) make him an excellent fit with Dallas. While he protected left-handed quarterback Dillon Gabriel’s blind side at right tackle for most of the past two seasons at Oklahoma, he played some left tackle and possesses the agility to take over for departed longtime starter Tyron Smith. It’s hard to imagine a better scenario for Dallas.

His colleague Bucky Brooks offers no specific grade but is talking about the “next great Dallas O-lineman.”

The Cowboys bolster their offensive line with a player with the versatility to play either tackle position thanks to his athleticism. Guyton’s elite traits could make him the next great Dallas O-lineman.

Bleacher Report likes how the Cowboys navigated the first round. A

All jokes about Jerry Jones’ all-in comments aside, the Dallas Cowboys deftly navigated this year’s first round. They traded down from No. 24 to No. 29, added an extra third-round pick from the Detroit Lions, and landed the same player whom they should have selected had they stayed at No. 24.

Guyton played right tackle at Oklahoma, but his athletic profile portends a viable transition to the blind side. That would keep Tyler Smith at left tackle, where he became an All-Pro.

The Cowboys have a long history of drafting and developing high-end offensive line prospects. Guyton is next in line.

DraftKings also likes the trade-down. A

Guyton was the best OT left and that’s not a knock on him. He of course isn’t quite up to the level of the top OTs off the board early, but he has that upside and figures to be a solid starter. The Cowboys did well to trade down and still grab him.

Sportsnaut A

Love this selection for Dallas. Trading down, acquiring an additional third-round pick and finding value at a need position. Guyton was projected to go higher and could potentially slot in as a starting right tackle out of the gate.

TouchdownWire likes the pick as an immediate starter: A-

Guyton was one of my favorite pass-blocking tackles in this class, and he has enough on the ball in the run game to be an immediate starter and Tyron Smith replacement right away. He’ll have to fix a few things with power and leverage, but he’ll be Dak Prescott’s best friend in a big hurry.

ProfootballNetwork calls the trade-down a ‘savvy move’: B+

This is a savvy move that gives the team some extra capital and a mammoth offensive tackle to become the long-term left tackle. Guyton is a 6’8”, 327-pound behemoth with exceptional-for-size athleticism, already impressive technical acumen, and whose best football is likely ahead of him with high development potential.

SB Nation: B+

I like this pick for Dallas. Guyton is a former tight end who is a really good athlete, and needs some refinement in his aiming points as a run blocker. Going to Dallas is a nice fit for the Cowboys, who need to replace Tyron Smith. Guyton played right tackle at Oklahoma, but hypothetically he’s moving to left and Tyler Smith can stay at guard. This works for Dallas if Guyton can make the switch.

Athlon Sports: B+

This is a solid pick for the Cowboys, who move back and acquire more draft capital, and still address their issues along the offensive line with a high-upside prospect. Guyton has an impressive combination of size, power and athleticism, and his addition will still allow Dallas to be flexible with where they put Tyler Smith moving forward. An all-around win to land a top tackle prospect in a deep class after moving down the board.

For The Win: “A project worth taking”: B

Now that’s how you avoid a mini offensive line crisis! With Tyron Smith’s departure, the Cowboys were left in dire straits up front, seemingly forced to reshuffle key young pieces like the promising Tyler Smith. This will no longer be the case thanks to Guyton, who will allow Dallas to keep Smith at guard where he can continue burying defenders into the ground.

Guyton is a bit more raw and will have to add the requisite “grown-man” strength to succeed at the next level. But this is a school project worth taking on for the Cowboys, if only to keep all their players in their natural positions.

Sporting News: B

The Cowboys might have been thinking about Barton and Fautanu with the inside more in mind, but in the end, going with Guyton in the wake of parting ways with long-time star left tackle Tyron Smith was a shrewd move. Guyton proved that beyond his big, mauling frame, he has the footwork and agility to handle protecting outside.

The Athletic likes the “immense upside” Guyton offers: B

Dallas had big holes at two spots, center and right tackle, and filled the one on the outside here. It’s an upside move, as Guyton could start at right tackle and perhaps flip to left tackle in time. If he reaches his potential, he could form a solid tandem with Tyler Smith.

Still raw and developing, Guyton started 14 games at Oklahoma — 13 at right tackle, one at left tackle — before declaring for the draft. He also started one game as a tight end at TCU in 2021. Guyton (6-7 1/2, 322) has the requisite body for an NFL tackle (34 1/8-inch arms). It might take him some time, but his upside is immense.

The Ringer also likes the upside of this pick and gives it a B

This was the pick that I mocked to the Cowboys earlier this week, and it makes a ton of sense for a team that’s looking to restock the shelves on the offensive line. Guyton has excellent length and brings top-end athletic traits to become the successor to Tyron Smith at left tackle (and also lets Dallas keep Tyler Smith at guard). There’s some risk here, as most of Guyton’s experience in college came at the right side. But he does have the tools to play on the blind side.

FoxSports likes Guyton but worries about his consistency. B-

The Cowboys know Guyton better than most, as his career was spent relatively close to the team headquarters, beginning his career at TCU prior to transferring to Oklahoma. He’s long, agile and versatile, projecting nicely to either tackle position. Dallas needed help at left tackle with Tyron Smith now a member of the New York Jets. Guyton has the traits to bank on but his struggles with consistency make this a gamble.

Yahoo Sports: C+

The Cowboys needed a left tackle to develop and at least have a prospect now in Guyton. He’s got a bit of a way to go as far as technique is concerned, but the physical tools and frame to grow into something for the long term are there. Guyton might have a lower floor than some of the other tackle prospects, but the upside is still here.

Todd Archer of ESPN doesn’t have a grade but provides this perspective:

What we’re hearing about Guyton: He was not a visitor to The Star prior to the draft, but the Cowboys met with him at the combine and at his pro day. Guyton said he spoke with offensive line coach Mike Solari multiple times and felt a connection.

“We’ve got a history of having guys that do things at a high level at that position and there’s some traits that definitely showed us that that was there,” vice president of player personnel Will McClay said. “You talk about athletic ability, and left tackles are usually more athletic, and this guy is an athletic guy — basketball background, some defense in his nature. So that way that he plays the game will add something to us as well.”

---

Now that you’ve had a full night to mull things over, how do you feel about the pick?