Cowboys training camp battle of the day: Tyler Guyton vs Micah Parsons
The Cowboys concluded their fourth practice of training camp on Sunday, and the competitions are starting to heat up. Several receivers have been turning heads, rookie corner Caelen Carson is making the most of his run with the first team in Trevon Diggs’ absence, and Mazi Smith looks primed for a nice rebound season.
However, Sunday brought one of the more intriguing battles thus far in camp, and it came in the trenches. Rookie tackle Tyler Guyton started camp with the second-team offensive line, but he got promoted to first-team left tackle by this Sunday, just four days in. That alone speaks to his preparedness, and Guyton revealed earlier his commitment to learning the left tackle position:
“Just refining my technique, repetition over and over,” Guyton said about what will go into the move. “Working on it so much that you can’t get it wrong. It’s just switching your footwork, your hands and your technique, and also fitting the plays in the run.”
“I actually feel like I’m better at left tackle and I’m more comfortable over there anyway. The switch should be pretty easy.”
Guyton’s hard work has clearly paid off, too. Getting bumped up to the first team is great and all, but it also meant having to square off against the best edge rusher in the NFL, Micah Parsons. And it appears the rookie was unburdened by what came next:
Tyler Guyton was again getting reps on 1st team but this time in full team drills and, this time, against Micah Parsons.
I saw, with my own two eyes, Guyton wall off the Lion on a couple reps.
Do with that info what you will. #Cowboys #trainingcamp
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) July 28, 2024
It should be noted that the Cowboys still are not practicing in full pads – that will come on Tuesday after taking Monday off – and it’s hard to put too much stock in the play of linemen without pads.
Having said that, Parsons is the caliber of player that can beat anyone with or without full football gear. He’s finished in the top three in Defensive Player of the Year voting each of his three seasons in the NFL, and has pretty much been a nightmare for any and every offensive tackle he’s lined up against.
To see Guyton hold his own against Parsons, and lock him up on more than one occasion, is certainly promising. The Cowboys drafted Guyton knowing it would take some time to adjust to playing on the left side of the line, but they felt confident in his elite physical traits being able to make up for any learning curve. Sunday’s interactions with Parsons seem to indicate they were right in that line of thinking.
The next time the Cowboys take the field in Oxnard, pads will be on and things will be different. Assuming Guyton remains at the top of the pecking order at left tackle, he’ll be in line for plenty more battles with Parsons, and all eyes will certainly be on those two moving forward.