Dallas Cowboys Position Group Rankings: Offensive Line

Checking in at No. 5 in our Dallas Cowboys position group rankings is the offensive line. This was a toss-up with the group that we’ll discuss next week, but uncertainty at the tackle spots broke the tie.

The interior is rock solid: Tyler Smith is blossoming into one of the best guards in the league, Cooper Beebe looks like the center of the future, and rookie Tyler Booker is, by all accounts, going to be a stud.

But there are serious questions on the edges, and we’ve seen bad tackle play crater a team’s chances at success. Until the tackles prove otherwise, the line as a whole has a hard ceiling. That’s why it lands at No. 5.

Cowboys O-Line: Stout Middle, Soft Edges

Anchored In The Trenches

This isn’t the line of ten years ago, when Dallas had future Hall of Famers Tyron Smith and Zach Martin anchoring the unit. But the foundation of this group, especially the interior, is strong. Tyler Smith is entering his fourth season and has already become one of the most reliable and punishing guards in the NFL. He’s nasty, versatile, and looks ready to carry the torch from Martin as the leader of the unit.

Second-year man Cooper Beebe was a steal in last year’s draft and really stepped up big. A guard in college, Beebe played out of position at center and really stabilized the line. He’s smart in protections and doesn’t look like a guy still getting his feet wet. If he takes another step forward, the Cowboys might finally have long-term stability at center for the first time since Travis Frederick retired.

Tyler Booker fits the mold this coaching staff is clearly prioritizing: mature, physical, and frickin’ nasty. He should be a mauler in the run game, and his approach to the position is exactly what you want. He’s unproven, but all signs point to him being immediately good.

So while the Cowboys may be betting on youth across the interior, it’s a high-upside wager on guys with pedigree (two of the three are first-round picks). All three starters have the potential to be long-term building blocks, and at least two have legitimate All-Pro ceilings.

Big Questions On The Edges

If the tackle spots were even average, the offensive line might be the best position group on this team. That’s how concerning the questions at tackle are.

Tyler Guyton is penciled in as the starting left tackle. The team has expressed confidence in his ability, even going so far as to move on from his only real competition in the offseason. Guyton has also said all the right things, acknowledging the struggles he had last year and laying out how he’s attacking the offseason to improve. That’s great, but it has to show up on the field. He was downright bad in 2024, and if that repeats, it won’t matter how strong the interior is. The tools are there, but tools don’t win games. If Guyton struggles early, it will create real problems for an offense that needs its line to be a position of strength.

On the right side, Terence Steele enters his sixth year with real questions about how much longer he’ll last. He was a liability in pass protection last season, committed too many penalties, and gave up the fifth-most sacks of any tackle in the league. Since suffering a major knee injury in 2022, he hasn’t regained the form that once made him a promising young starter. If Dallas gets the Steele of last year, they could be forced to explore other options. If not midseason, then definitely next year.

Depth

The Cowboys have some depth, mostly on the inside, but there’s a reason these guys are second- and third-teamers. Injuries last season forced several backups into action, and that experience is valuable. T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman both saw meaningful snaps and return as steady reserves. But if starters start to go down again, the offense might be in for another rough year.

Still, this isn’t a doom-and-gloom situation. Dallas has invested heavily in the trenches, and there’s talent and pedigree here. If the tackles hold up, this unit has the potential to take over games. But if their play doesn’t catch up to the interior, this line has a hard ceiling. As it stands, they’re middle of the pack in our position group rankings.

Outlook For 2025

This offensive line has potential to be great, but poor tackle play puts a hard cap on how far it can go. The interior trio of Smith, Beebe, and Booker has the potential to anchor the unit for years. If they stay healthy and take the expected developmental leaps, Dallas could have one of the most physical interiors in the NFL.

But the tackle situation clouds the outlook. Guyton has the traits to be a long-term answer at left tackle, but traits don’t pay the bills. If he’s bad again, the Cowboys may be forced to look for a replacement next offseason. He has to show he can be trusted against the NFL’s best edge rushers. Steele, meanwhile, is fighting to prove his best football isn’t behind him. If both tackles struggle, it’s going to limit what this offense can do.

The hope is that continuity and better health will help stabilize things up front. And if Guyton and Steele rise to the occasion, this group could be really solid. But for now, the Cowboys’ offensive line lands in the middle of the pack in our 2025 position rankings.