On paper, the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line looks largely the same as last year. Tyler Guyton is at left tackle, Tyler Smith is left guard, Cooper Beebe is the center, Tyler Booker is at right guard, and Terence Steele is penciled in at right tackle.
Anyone who remembers what happened last season knows things don’t always go according to plan. Four of the five Cowboys starters missed time in 2025, with three of them missing three or more games. And anyone who’s been tracking training camp news knows their performances haven’t all been sunshine and rainbows. Contingency plans are in the works, and depth options have changed considerably from last year.
The elephant in the room (no, that’s not a fat joke) is the struggles of Steele at right tackle.
After regressing a bit last year, Steele took a pay cut over the offseason just to stay aboard. Unfortunately, that regression continued into this season and now Steele’s starting job is tenuous, at best.
The trades
Many will remember that earlier in the offseason Nate Thomas was named as a challenger to Guyton at left tackle. Once camp opened, Guyton, healthy for the first time in a while, had no problems dispatching the competition, prompting Dallas to try Thomas on the right side with Steele.
Things clearly didn’t go well for Thomas on the right side either, since he was soon shipped off in a trade with the Houston Texans, but not before the Cowboys added a new tackle to the mix. Broderick Jones, a former first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, was acquired on August 29 and immediately slotted in to compete with Steele at right tackle.
Coming off spinal fusion surgery, Jones might take time to truly challenge, but it’s not hard to see the writing may be on the wall. Some will say Jones is in the mix just because Dallas is throwing numbers at the problem, but if that was the case the Cowboys would have kept Thomas. Jones is in Dallas because the Cowboys think they can fix him and/or use him.
The depth
T.J. Bass, Ajani Cornelius and Drew Shelton round out the rest of the depth with Jones. Bass is clearly the top of the class. With starting experience at both guard positions and recent training at center, he could very well be the top alternate for the entire interior.
Cornelius, a 2025 draft pick, has been getting work at guard and looking good. He’s still listed as a tackle on the Cowboys roster but based on training camp and the preseason, he’s more guard than tackle at this point.
Shelton, a rookie project player, is virtually worthless this season.
If the preseason taught the Cowboys anything, it’s that Shelton is a developmental prospect who needs strength and technique before he can reliably contribute. He has excellent tools so fans shouldn’t completely sour on the Penn State product, but they should recognize the work ahead.
The contingency no one wants
Tyler Smith might very well be the best guard in the NFL, but if Tyler Guyton is lost for an extended period of time, Smith might be asked to replace him at left tackle. Smith wasn’t practicing at tackle in camp or told he’s the next man up, but left tackle is the most important spot on the offensive line and everyone behind Guyton looks like a massive liability on Dak Prescott’s blindside.
It’s a last resort but based on options, it has to remain a resort. Guyton has missed significant time throughout his first two seasons, so this is clearly something the Cowboys have discussed internally. If Guyton misses a couple games the Cowboys could survive, provided they limit five-step drops and devote themselves to a run-heavy attack. But the idea of Jones or Shelton on the blindside this year is enough to give the boogieman nightmares.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Bold adjustments: Making sense of the Cowboys’ O-line situation
