3:37 PM on Aug 12, 2024 CDT

For the first time since their embarrassing postseason exit courtesy of the Green Bay Packers, the Dallas Cowboys were officially back on a football field. With a lot to sort out as training camp and the preseason roll on, there were a lot of good and bad things to take away from their 13-12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

One of the good things that stood out is Tyler Guyton, to the delight of Cowboys fans everywhere. The rookie first-round pick got his first NFL action on Sunday afternoon, and although it is a small sample size, he looks like a guy who belongs.

Tyler Guyton makes good first impression

After Chuma Edoga took snaps at left tackle to start the game, it took only one offensive drive before Guyton got a taste of NFL action. The former Sooner spent much of his college days on the right side of the offensive line, and with a change to the left side in the plans, many were curious to see how he would fare in his first NFL action.

While it wasn’t an extensive workload, there were enough positives to take from the action to feel good about his first game as a Cowboy.

Pass protection

Again, we know it was a small sample size, but Guyton looked like a man who was extremely comfortable in passing situations. His sets were clean, his punches were on point, and when given the chance to throw his weight around and flash his athleticism, all of the right boxes were checked.

He was patient, didn’t lean, wasn’t over-committing, and looked like a man who was perfectly comfortable playing on the left side. A lot more growth is to come, naturally, but for his first live reps in a game setting, there is a lot to be encouraged by.

Run blocking

Guyton has a chance to be special in the running game. Along with Tyler Smith on the left side, the two physical specimens have a chance to move guys against their will regularly.

In the play highlighted here, Guyton gets a chance to show his athleticism while moving in space and finishing the play by being violent and packing a punch that knocks the would-be tackler back out of the play.

Again, it’s a small sample size, but there aren’t many tackles in the NFL that can move with this kind of fluidity and be able to pack the type of punch he does here. His landing markers were clean, his pull was smooth, and his finish was the cherry on top.

What we see here is a lot of what the Cowboys’ front office saw in his college tape, only now they have been given a chance to get him in the weight room, refine his technique, and are working on getting the best out of him going forward.

All in all, it’s just one game and a couple of dozen plays. But for a team looking to move on from future Hall of Fame left tackle, those who make decisions have to leave out tonight feeling good about what they saw from Guyton.

With at least one more game (they may sit him in the final preseason game) to fine-tune his ability, the Cowboys have yet again another exciting tackle prospect to watch and critique. A team that has continuously churned out quality offensive linemen over the years may have found themselves another one.

The Dallas Cowboys fell to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 of the preseason 13-12 on a touchdown pass from Stetson Bennett with four seconds to play.

Losing is always frustrating but that’s not what’s important in the preseason. What matters is getting players the reps they need as teams figure out their 53-man roster. For Dallas, that included getting Trey Lance plenty of opportunities to prove he can get the job done.

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Lance showed flashes but it was hard to classify him as either a winner or loser in this one. That’s not the case for the following players who either made a case for their spot on the team, or put themselves in a hole.

Markquese Bell is back at his natural position and he looks as comfortable as ever.

He nearly came up with an interception in the end zone on the first drive of the game but didn’t drop the ball when he got another chance. On the second defensive drive, Bell reached up and grabbed a pass from Stetson Bennett, getting it back for his offense.

Bell was all over the field, recording nine tackles in addition to the interception.

It was already going to be tough for Eric Scott, Jr. to make the roster before Andrew Booth was added in a trade with Minnesota. He might have gotten past Nahshon Wright but won’t surpass Booth, especially after he struggled against the Rams.

Scott was unable to prevent Jordan Whittington from catching a pass over the middle of the field, which turned into a 30-yard reception on the opening drive. On the Rams’ third possession, he was beaten by Xavier Smith on a third-and-six. To make matters worse, Scott was flagged for a late hit, giving Los Angeles an additional 15 yards.

His issues continued as he was constantly picked on, including when Whittington beat him on a fourth-and-three with just over a minute to go in the first half. Scott redeemed himself with an interception but that doesn’t erase the big plays he surrendered.

The Cowboys fell behind 3-0 early but were able to tie the game when Brandon Aubrey knocked in a kick from 30 yards out. Their drive lasted seven plays but it was the one from Jalen Brooks that put them in scoring range.

Brooks got free downfield and hauled in a 43-yard pass from Cooper Rush. He had to slow down to catch the ball which could have been a touchdown if Rush had a few more yards on the throw.

Brooks has had an excellent training camp as he battles Jalen Tolbert for the WR3 position. This reception was a reminder of why he’s generated so much excitement.

Dallas lost Sam Williams to a knee injury during camp which is unfortunate, but it did open the door for Viliami Fehoko, Jr. The second-year defensive end now had a shot at moving up the depth chart after not seeing the field as a rookie.

He was out there for most of the game against the Rams and wasn’t able to impress. Fehoko lined up on the edge but didn’t show any burst whatsoever. He played slow and was out of position throughout the night. There’s still time for him to earn playing time but he has to show improvement in a hurry.

First-round pick Tyler Guyton had a lot of eyes on him in this game. The Cowboys added him as their future left tackle and he’s going to have some big shoes to fill with Tyron Smith leaving in the offseason.

He turned heads throughout camp and did the same against L.A. Guyton proved to have the athleticism to deal with speed rushers and wasn’t lacking in power either.

The coaching staff might not be ready to name him the starter just yet but it’s hard to see any scenario where he’s not protecting Dak Prescott’s blindside in Week 1 against Cleveland.

Malik Davis was the first running back off the bench after Rico Dowdle got the start. In his third season with the Cowboys, Davis is on the chopping block. He could still fight his way onto the roster but that won’t be easy after he struggled in Week 1 of the preseason.

Davis had 20 yards on two receptions but finished with a mere 18 yards on eight rushing attempts. That’s just 2.25 yards per attempt. The Cowboys were expecting more after dominating on the ground in the scrimmage against the Rams, making this even more disappointing.

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