From the moment the Dallas Cowboys selected Tyler Guyton at 29th overall of the 2024 NFL Draft, the comparisons to Tyler Smith were absolutely unavoidable.
Just like Guyton this year, Smith was mostly perceived as a developmental player given his raw technique and undisciplined hands at Tulsa when the Cowboys used a first round pick on him in 2022. Although their traits made each prospect different during their respective draft process, both faced the notion that it'd take time for them to reach quality starter status.
As Cowboys fans now know, such expectations were overblown for Smith, who held his own as a rookie at left tackle and earned Second-Team All-Pro honors in his second year in the league at left guard.
Smith's meteoric rise has led to a huge sense of confidence that Guyton could have a similar trajectory, especially as he's already working with offensive line guru Duke Manyweather.
However, Cowboys fans shouldn't expect the same for Guyton. At least according to A to Z Sports Film Room analyst James Foster, who sees a big difference between these two prospects.
That starts with the fact that Smith's rawness as a prospect might've been wildly overstated.
"Tyler Smith was a player I was really high on coming out of college," Foster explained on my A to Z Sports Dallas Primetime show. "His first couple of games of the season everyone was watching and it was really raw and out of control but then if you watch the rest of his year, he developed a lot and was a clear Top 15 player in that class."
Foster does see Guyton as someone who is much less developed. While he agrees with the Cowboys' draft strategy to take him because of the OT drop-off the class suffered after his pick, he grades as a positive move.
"Where he needs to improve is just with timing and placement with his punch," explains Foster. "When it's time to clench up and get your hands inside, there will be times that he's a little bit late to strike and let people get into his frame."
Although Guyton's size and athleticism let him get away with such deficiencies in his game at the college level, he'll need to get all of it down to reach his full potential at the pro level.
This isn't to say Guyton wasn't a good pick, which Foster agrees it was. But Cowboys Nation will need to be more patient than it had to be with Tyler Smith. Expecting the Oklahoma product to thrive early like Smith is the wrong way to look at the narrative.
"Maybe a step above a replacement level starter," Foster said when asked what his Year 1 expectations are for Guyton. "Maybe a step above what Terence Steele was in pass pro last year, I think rookie tackles always struggle (...) There are going to be some growing pains."
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