Whether or not the Dallas Cowboys rise or fall in 2024 will likely come down to the play of its offensive line.
That’s the main reason why the Cowboys drafted lineman with two of their first three picks last month.
Dallas shed age with the departure of Tyron Smith. They also lost a lot of experience too.
It is possible that the Cowboys will start two rookies on the offensive line when the season starts.
They also have questions of age (Zack Martin) and injury (Terence Steele) to deal with.
Given they are looking at a running back by committee in the backfield, as well as Dak Prescott likely throwing the ball more this year, those are big questions to answer.
So, who will be the starting five in the season opener?
Cowboys Offensive Line Depth Chart
Dallas currently has 14 offensive linemen on the roster. Here is the probable depth chart going into camp with probable starters listed first:
- LT — Tyler Guyton (Rookie), Chuma Edoga, Nathan Thomas (Rookie)
- LG – Tyler Smith, T.J. Bass, Josh Ball
- C – Cooper Beebe (Rookie), Brock Hoffman
- RG – Zack Martin, Asim Richards, Dakoda Shepley
- RT – Terence Steele, Matt Waletzko, Earl Bostick Jr.
Martin was drafted by the Cowboys in 2014 and will be playing in his 11th NFL season this year.
After Martin – who will turn 34 in November – comes Dakoda Shepley who will be 30 in December.
Shepley has seen action with three NFL teams since 2020 and played four games for Dallas in 2022. He was in the CFL last year.
Terence Steele is the next oldest member of the line as he turns 27 next month.
Steele will be playing in his fifth year and was not 100% back from an ACL injury suffered in late 2022. He struggled at times in 2023.
Josh Ball is a year younger and will be playing in his fourth year.
Tyler Guyton, Cooper Beebe, and Nathan Jones were drafted by Dallas last month.
Every one else on the depth chart joined the team in 2022 or 2023. The Cowboys’ offensive line is a young unit.
Whether or not they can gel – and stay healthy – remains to be seen.
It will also determine if the team can make a playoff run – or fades away toward a higher draft pick in 2025.
What To Watch For
Guyton played right tackle last year at Oklahoma. But to be fair, that was his quarterback’s blind side.
In the NFL – with Prescott, Cooper Rush, and/or Trey Lance at the helm – the blind side is the left tackle’s responsibility.
Left tackle is supposed to be Guyton’s natural position. If he can hold down that spot, it allows Tyler Smith to play left guard,
If he can’t, Smith likely slides over to tackle and T.J. Bass starts at guard.
For now, the right side seems set – assuming Steele does return to his pre-injury form. Martin is locked in at right guard.
Which leaves the biggest question of them all regarding the offensive line:
Who emerges as the starting center?
Can The Rookie Prevail?
The Cowboys were ecstatic when they went on the clock early in the third round and Beebe was still there.
The rookie played guard during his time at Kansas State. But he has stated he is more than willing to play center in Dallas.
In 2023, Tyler Biadasz was something of a liability on the line. He – along with Steele — allowed a few too many pressures on Prescott in 2023.
With Biadasz’s departure to the Commanders in free agency the center’s job is Beebe’s to lose.
Both men are 6-3 while Beebe holds about a 20-pound weight advantage between the two. He has the size, and reportedly the smarts, to play center.
His main competition for the starting job is Brock Hoffman – although Bass could slide in and play the spot in a pinch.
Hoffman is an inch taller than Beebe but a full 30 pounds lighter. He did show some promise during his playing time in 2023.
The battle for the starting center job is likely going to be the one to keep an eye on.
It certainly looks to be the most competitive – at least on the offensive side.
Whichever five emerge as the starters, the Cowboys have clearly gone “all-in” on this reworked line.
We’ll find out soon enough if they drew the nut flush, or if they went bust.