Dak Prescott doesn’t sound like a quarterback guessing in the dark. He sounds like a guy who already has a read on how the Cowboys want to line up, and on Thursday he put that belief on the record: Tyler Smith at left guard, Tyler Guyton outside at left tackle.
That’s the shape Prescott expects for Week 1, even with the left tackle discussion still hanging over the start of training camp. Brian Schottenheimer opened the door by saying Smith would get reps there, and Smith himself added to the uncertainty before camp when he told reporters he wasn’t sure where he’d line up.
“You know, we'll see what happens," he said. "Ultimately, Schotty makes those decisions. Wherever I do line up, I'm gonna be at the best of my abilities."
The Cowboys have spent the offseason circling that spot because of Guyton’s issues over two seasons and because Smith finished the 2025 season at left tackle after Guyton was injured. Still, the preference from both Dallas and Smith is to keep Smith at left guard, where he’s already established himself as one of the best in the business. The bigger picture remains the same: the Cowboys need their best five on the field, wherever that ends up being.
Prescott made it clear he believes Guyton will hold up his end of the bargain.
“I know [Tyler] Guyton is going to handle his business outside," Prescott said.
That’s the outcome Dallas would love, especially with so much invested in Guyton as a former first-round pick. Right now, he looks like the favorite to win the job over Nate Thomas, and Smith at tackle appears more like the fallback option if the Cowboys aren’t satisfied with what they see from both players.
Through the first two practices of camp, Guyton has been the only lineman to work with the first team at left tackle. Thomas should still get a look there, though, since Schottenheimer said the Cowboys will start rotating players after four practices.
Guyton, for his part, has kept the focus on steady progress. After Day 1, he said, "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 after Day 1.
He also said, "I'm not all the way where I want to be yet, and that's what camp is for," Guyton added. "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."
So far, there hasn’t been any public indication that Guyton has stumbled early in camp, which at this stage counts as a positive. But the real evaluation won’t start until the pads come on next week.
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