Tyler Guyton and Nate Thomas will battle for the starting left tackle spot this offseason, beginning this week at OTAs.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer sat at the podium on Thursday in Frisco to address the team's plans for this week in OTAs.
Among the discussion topics - such as George Pickens' attendance (or lack thereof) and the franchise's championship drought under Jerry Jones - the second-year head coach officially declared a position competition that will draw a ton of attention this offseason.
Schottenheimer said that Tyler Guyton and Nate Thomas will battle for a starting offensive line spot this summer.
"We're gonna make Tyler earn it. Tyler and Nate Thomas are competing right now to start at left tackle," Schottenheimer said. "Why? Because we think that's gonna get the best out of Tyler Guyton and the best out of Nate Thomas.
"Tyler's biggest thing is the consistency has not been there. Very talented, maybe one of the most athletic big men I've ever been around with his ability to kick slide, punch, move, run. But there's gotta be more consistency. That's been the challenge that he's been working extremely, extremely hard on."
Guyton, who the Cowboys drafted with the No. 29 overall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, has spent two seasons as a regular starter protecting Dak Prescott's blindside; he's started 21 of the 25 career games he's appeared in.
The 6-7, 330-pounder received a 57.5 overall grade by PFF, which ranked 71st out of 89 qualified offensive tackles.
Thomas was also picked in the 2024 draft by Dallas, in round seven at No. 233 overall. His PFF grade sat at 39.2, ranking 88th, after starting four games in 2025 and appearing in 29 percent of the Cowboys' offensive snaps on the year.
Guyton is embracing the competition because, at this stage of the program, it is a reality for others besides the linemen.
"There's competition everywhere," he said. "I think Nate's an incredible player and we learn form each other. We're both really young and we have a specific set of skills that complement each other."
Schottenheimer judged how, typically, by Year 3 of a player's career, you can gauge whether they're a player or not. However, that's not always the case, as Schotty referenced Rich Gannon's late growth into a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback beyond his rookie contract.
"Each position is different ... What I will say with Tyler is Tyler understands the importance of this year. Why? Because it's the next year."
Trust the Process
"We're evaluating everything," Schottenheimer said, knowing these pad-less practices are less of a "real football" feel. Nonetheless, this battle draws the attention of Cowboys fans who are skeptical about a key position on the offense.
"This time of year, where these guys are training, the workouts are a little bit longer," the coach added. "It's actually more about the strength and weight room program than even football, quite honestly, working through Phase 1 and Phase 2. I've always believed this - and this has got nothing to do with a single player - how do you prove to your teammates that you're doing everything in your power to be the best version of yourself if they don't see you doing it?"
During the press conference, Schottenheimer made sure to emphasize how it's important to remind the players of the ultimate goal of the team as they prepare to embark on a summer of workouts and conditioning.
"The goal is the goal. The goal is, February 14, 2027, we want to be playing in the Super Bowl in SoFi Stadium, that's the goal," Schottenheimer said. "But we can't do anything about that right now other than have a great OTA number three ... So, you have to go back to the process."
