The Dallas Cowboys must be pleased with the performance of rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton in Week 1.
However, Pro Football Focus is not impressed. PFF gave the rookie a very poor grade in his first NFL action against the Cleveland Browns.
In an article highlighting rookie offensive line play, PFF shared that Guyton was given a grade of 42.0, which was the fifth-lowest grade of any NFL offensive tackle in Week 1.
In particular, Guyton's pass protection was an issue:
"The first-rounder had some lapses in pass protection, allowing a sack and two total pressures on 36 tries. Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, bested Guyton twice in 13 matchups. A good sign, though, was that Guyton didn’t allow a pressure in eight contests with Za’Darius Smith."
PFF did highlight slightly better run blocking, but noted, "his 49.1 mark was still below expectation. Altogether, the 22-year-old might have some growing pains as he blocks for Dak Prescott in his first year."
It's worth noting that Guyton did get a lot of help on the left side. Dallas chipped Myles Garrett early, and often, with running backs and tight ends. On snaps when Guyton did not get any help (11 out of 37 total), he had some good reps and some bad ones.
Here’s every single Tyler Guyton pass block rep where he didn’t receive help
— Defy (@defytalkcowboys) September 11, 2024
(11 total out of 37) pic.twitter.com/5HJN0GxTuC
Things aren't all doom and gloom. Guyton appears to have all the goods to become a rock-solid, if not outstanding left tackle in the NFL. Chances are, he'll have a much-improved grade in games when he's not facing the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
