At one point in time, the Dallas Cowboys had the top offensive line in the NFL when Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and Travis Frederick were leading the charge. Injuries to Smith and the retirement of Frederick have caused Dallas to dip a bit when it comes to the better offensive line units across the league.
There’s been a drop-off, but per Pro Football Focus, the Cowboys offensive line still ranks among the best as they came in as the 10th-ranked unit of its kind in the NFL.
10. Dallas Cowboys
Although the Cowboys’ offensive line had been among the five best units in the league for years, that position is in jeopardy going forward. The Cowboys let left tackle Tyron Smith and center Tyler Biadasz walk in free agency, and now rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton is set to replace Smith while Brock Hoffman is expected to play center.
It did not help Dallas that right tackle Terence Steele had a disappointing 2023 season coming back from injury. The team still has one of the better guard duos in Tyler Smith and Zack Martin, but it is unknown how much quality is around them.
The part about Brock Hoffman starting at center isn’t edged in stone yet, though. Rookie Cooper Beebe will have a lot to say about that with his raw power and technique. Hoffman will have the advantage from an experience standpoint, but Beebe has a higher ceiling when it comes to talent, making it one of the most intriguing training camp battles.
Guyton is tasked with being the next top guy at left tackle. He has to get better at some things, but Guyton’s strength and athleticism at 6’8 and 322 pounds give him a perfect base to be coached up and developed. Steele wasn’t horrible by any means in 2023, but he’ll certainly need to take it back up a notch to where he was a few years ago when he looked like one of the better right tackles in the league.
The question marks are there on the Cowboys offensive line, but there’s also plenty of talent and upside. Getting Guyton up to speed and Steele back to form are key, and if that does happen in 2024, the Cowboys will have a shot to control the line of scrimmage and keep their defense fresh, which has worked wonders over the last few years when that’s been the case.
