OXNARD, Calif. — Dallas Cowboys first-round draft pick, Tyler Guyton, entered life in the NFL with big expectations upon his shoulders.
Not only was he their first selection in the draft, but based on his collegiate profile, the Cowboys were hoping and expecting he’d be an impact player for them quickly.
Now, they need him to be one immediately.
With Chuma Edoga suffering a toe injury in the Cowboys’ first preseason game against the Rams, Guyton will likely be thrust into the starting left tackle role for the regular season opener against Cleveland.
Considering Guyton has missed several days of practice in Oxnard due to illness, he’s missed critically valuable reps as a rookie. However, when he’s been on the field during training camp he’s looked very good.
And in his first game action as a Cowboy, the practice reps he did get carried over nicely. Following the game against the Rams, Guyton reflected on his performance.
"I thought I did pretty good, handled my business. [I have] things to work on, of course, but got the butterflies out," he said.
Guyton credits his work in practice against guys like Micah Parsons for getting him ready for that first game in blue and silver. And that work has been noticed by his Offensive Coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer.
"The first thing that jumps out at you is his feet. His ability to kick, slide and redirect is impressive. He's an amazing athlete,” Schottenheimer said.
However, his athleticism wasn't the only thing that stood out when the rookie tackle suited up on Sunday.
"He's got this demeanor and intensity about him on gameday that I don’t think a lot of people see. He looked different on Sunday. He was out there with a mean streak, he played that way,” Schottenheimer added.
It might've seemed like a mean streak to Schottenheimer, but for Guyton, Sunday was "a dream come true."
"I've always wanted to wear a star, and I finally got to do it."
