As a Dallas fan growing up in the 21st century, the Cowboys offensive line nucleus of Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, and Zack Martin shaped many of my initial memories in football. Before I say anything else, let’s just have a quick moment to soak in how insanely good that unit was.
Okay, now that’s over, I’ll get back to the point of this article. After those big three retired, and guys like La’el Collins, Doug Free, and Ronald Leary drifted into the past, Dallas went all-in on an o-line rebuild.
Terence Steele arrived first as an UDFA in 2020, before Tyler Smith really started the process after being selected in the first round in 2022; from there, Tyler Guyton, Cooper Beebe, and Tyler Booker followed.
The 2026 season will see Guyton-Smith-Beebe-Booker-Steele as the unit for the second consecutive year. I think it’s fair to say that the Cowboys offensive line rebuild is “complete,” But does that mean it was a success? Is it possible they’ll have to do a mini rebuild within the next few seasons?
Here, I’ll go over each player quickly to try to answer that question, because I think at this point it is fair to ask that question.
Cowboys Offensive Line Rebuild: Success or Failure?
Starting from left to right, let’s make no mistake about it: this season is absolutely make or break for Guyton at left tackle. Dallas drafted him as a raw prospect, but that title can only last you so long.
The time for this former Oklahoma Sooner to arrive is here. If there are any questions about left tackle after the 2026 season, I see his career in Dallas being essentially over. He either steps up into his potential, or you try again to find the franchise LT.
Is it possible that Smith is the future IF Guyton were to falter? I don’t think so, but he will be your anchor on the offensive line for years to come either way.
This guy is an All-Pro, and is locked up for a long time in Dallas. The rebuild started with him, and to this point he has been the most successful by a landslide. No questions, no notes from Mr. Smith, in terms of whether or not he’s a success.
For Beebe, he is, to this point, just fine? Far from a problem, also far from being a Frederick-level center. You don’t need him to be that, necessarily, but at this point I think he’s no more likely to be extended than Tyler Biadasz was a few years ago. Unless, he steps up in a major way, Dallas will likely shoot for a cheaper, new option.
Booker is, to me, in a similar boat as Smith even if he hasn’t fully gotten there yet. We saw the potential last year, and I have no concerns over whether he’ll keep on rolling.
Steele is the biggest weakness, especially with some negative reports this summer, but the Cowboys are pretty heavily tied to him financially.
Personally, I’d love if it if Dallas sought a replacement in the near future, but they seem to like Steele more than just about anybody. Either way, I think there’s two guys on the line that are set in stone for the longterm future, and three that could realistically be replaced soon.
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