Dallas Cowboys Left Tackle Competition Takes Center Stage as Guyton and Thomas Go to Work in Oxnard

The relatively quiet offseason surrounding the usually loud Dallas Cowboys has tamped down some of the noise, but it has not quieted the most important question hanging over a potentially explosive offense. Who will protect Dak Prescott’s blind side in 2026?

That Dallas Cowboys left tackle competition between former first-rounder Tyler Guyton and former seventh-rounder Nathan Thomas kicked off in earnest this week from Oxnard, Calif. The first practice of training camp on Wednesday put both players under the bright California sun at River Ridge Playing Fields, and the early returns show a third-year lineman determined to answer every doubt with daily work.

“I mean, it’s the same as every day: coming to work and getting better, to try and get one percent better every day,” Guyton said following camp’s first practice.

The Pacific breeze carried the familiar sounds of training camp—pads popping, coaches barking commands, music pulsing from the speakers—while fans lined the fences and filled the stands with blue and silver. You could almost feel the extra weight on the left side of the offensive line. Every set, every kick-slide, every punch carried meaning. Guyton entered 2026 as the assumed starter after claiming the bulk of first-team reps through the spring. Coach Brian Schottenheimer still made a public point early in the offseason that the job would be an open competition. The decision was deliberate. Guyton had work to do on both his game and his availability after injuries short-circuited his first two seasons.

The message landed.

“I [want to get] more technically sound, more confident in the playbook and the scheme and, overall, just a better player,” Guyton said. “It’s a process, of course, and we have to take it day by day, one foot in front of the other. But, at the end of the day, I’m trying to get to a certain point where I feel good about going into the season.”

Standing on the grass in Oxnard after that opening session, Guyton sounded like a player who has absorbed every question about his consistency and answered the only way that counts—by showing up ready to grind. Things are slowing down for him in Year 3. The speed of the game no longer overwhelms him the way it once did. He is learning more every day, and he knows exactly how much ground he still needs to cover.

Why Schottenheimer Opened the Competition

Instigating a competition only works if a legitimate threat exists. Nathan Thomas struggled across four starts last season, posting rough Pro Football Focus grades that ranked near the bottom among qualified tackles. The 6-foot-5, 334-pounder allowed pressures at a high rate in limited action. Yet the club has pointed to real improvement this offseason. Thomas spent the months after the 2025 campaign refining his technique and adding strength, working extensively with private coach Duke Manyweather of OL Masterminds. He studied film of his own mistakes, sought feedback from offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, offensive line coach Conor Riley, and even veteran Tyron Smith. He talked with pass-rush consultants to understand how edge defenders attack a tackle’s set.

“For me, it really comes down to technique and the habits that you build,” Thomas said earlier this offseason. “Last year, it was my first year playing—coming off of injury from the year before. This has really been my first real offseason to train and get better, so that’s what I did.”

The Cowboys have not silenced the chatter that Thomas could reasonably push the man drafted six rounds ahead of him. They have also left the door cracked for another possibility. If both young tackles struggle, the club could still move All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith out to left tackle. Smith has made clear he prefers to stay at guard, where he has earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition. When the team arrived in Oxnard, Smith said he had not been told exactly where he would line up. Schottenheimer later clarified that Smith will begin camp at left guard and still receive some snaps at tackle. The flexibility exists for a reason. The left tackle spot sits as the biggest question mark on an offense that otherwise looks ready to explode.

A shaky left tackle does not simply create sacks. It forces the quarterback to hurry throws. It limits the play-action game. It makes the offensive coordinator call more protection schemes that take tight ends and running backs out of the pass game. It cascades across the entire unit. Prescott has the weapons around him. He needs clean time in the pocket to use them.

Guyton’s Journey Through Injury and Expectation

Guyton understands the stakes better than anyone. The 2024 first-round pick out of Oklahoma arrived with the athletic tools that made scouts drool—length, foot speed, and the ability to mirror edge rushers in space. What has been missing is the week-to-week consistency and the ability to stay on the field. A knee issue cost him valuable time in his first training camp. Another knee setback and a high-ankle sprain limited him again in 2025. He started 10 games last season before landing on injured reserve. When healthy, the flashes of dominance appeared. The consistency did not always follow.

“I’m not all the way where I want to be yet, and that’s what camp is for,” Guyton said after the first practice. “I’m still trying to get better every single day, but it [definitely] feels like I’m going into my third year in the NFL. Things are slowing down for me and I’m learning more every day.”

That learning has included private work with elite tackles across the league this offseason. Guyton trained alongside veterans known for their technical mastery, absorbing details about posture, hand placement, and balance at the point of attack. He has talked repeatedly about posture as the foundation of everything. A good set with strong posture wins the rep before the defender even reaches him. Those small details separate average left tackles from the ones who keep a franchise quarterback upright for 17 games.

The Oxnard sun does not care about draft status. It only reveals who is ready. On Wednesday the first-team snaps still belonged to Guyton. The competition is not ceremonial. Schottenheimer has said he wants Guyton to earn the job because that process will bring out the best in both young players. The coaching staff has also mentioned rookie fourth-rounder Drew Shelton as another body who will receive looks. Depth at the position has improved. The starting job remains the prize.

What This Battle Means for the 2026 Season

Walk the fields at River Ridge and the atmosphere feels familiar to anyone who has covered Cowboys camps in Southern California. Fans arrive early. The merchandise tents do steady business. The cheerleaders appear at key events. Yet this year carries a different edge. The franchise has missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons. The defense has been rebuilt with new faces and a new coordinator. The offense still leans on Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and a talented group of skill players. Everything funnels back to the offensive line holding up.

If Guyton takes the expected leap and stays healthy, the left side of the line becomes a strength rather than a concern. Smith can stay at guard. The interior can dominate. The running game gains consistency. Prescott gains the extra half-second that turns contested throws into open windows. If the competition forces a change—whether Thomas seizes the job or Smith slides outside—the ripple effects will appear in every game plan.

Guyton is approaching the challenge the only way that works. One percent better every day. More technically sound. More confident in the scheme. A better player by the time the pads come off and the real games begin. The quiet offseason may have muted some of the usual Cowboys drama, but the work in Oxnard is loud enough. The left tackle competition is no longer a talking point from the spring. It is happening in real time under the California sun, and the next few weeks will decide who stands next to Dak Prescott when the 2026 season opens.