Two recent first round picks are going to needed to have a better year than what we saw on the field a season ago.
For both Tyler Guyton and Mazi Smith, you can make the case that both of these guys need to take a big leap this season to help the Cowboys win some football games, but I think there is only one answer to who needs to have the bigger leap.
We can agree to disagree, that is fine. If you have some thoughts, please drop them in the comments and I will make sure to take a look.
Mazi Smith
Despite an improvement in his sophomore campaign last year, his production still lagged. Smith started in all 17 games in 2024, compared to just three in 2023, but only made one more tackle for loss, and had the same number of sacks and quarterback hits.
Dallas gave up 2,331 rushing yards (28th in the NFL), allowed 25 rushing touchdowns (worst in the league), and surrendered 4.8 yards per carry (tied for 29th).
Smith’s average overall grade was 62.9, and his run defense average was 70.5. That 70.5-run grade would put him in the top 15 in the league this year.
They finished 31st in Expected Points Added (EPA) against the run, a damning stat that doesn’t simply measure yardage.
That is a major problem. Dan Quinn made him lose 30 pounds a few years ago, but again, he was a touch better in 2024, but let’s hope Matt Eberflus can get the best out of him.
Tyler Guyton
The 29th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Guyton, a former Oklahoma Sooner, experienced both highs and lows in his rookie season, but more lows than highs.
He was just a rookie, so that is why I am going with Smith as the one who needs to take the biggest leap this season.
Guyton allowed far too many pressures and penalties, and his run blocking failed to deliver throughout most of the season.
Tyler Guyton’s (#60) hand placement is still inconsistent, but you can see some real pop when he does connect. pic.twitter.com/kKVheFeGNn
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) August 18, 2024
Starting 11 games at left tackle, he allowed six sacks and committed 18 penalties, four of which were declined.
His PFF offensive grade was 49.4, run blocking grade was 51.3, and pass blocking grade was 60.2.
These grades reflected growing pains, especially in run blocking.
The Cowboys’ offensive line struggled overall, ranking 22nd in block win rate and allowing 38 sacks, among the bottom ten in the NFL.
I think he will get all of this cleaned up and have a much better year, Mazi on the other hand I am still worried about. Let’s see how the rest of this summer goes.
