Draft Day Disaster: 2024 First-Rounder from Oklahoma Already Labeled a Bust

We’re not even a full calendar year out from the 2024 NFL Draft, but that doesn’t mean the first year of on-field action meant nothing. Some rookies immediately found stardom in the NFL while others barely saw the field. It should be no surprise we’re already seeing 2024 NFL Draft bust discussions taking place because there’s a rush to judge production.

Some of the early bust talks will look foolish in coming years, but it’s fair to be critical of what has played out on the field. Justin Carter of Fansided nominated five early bust candidates from the 2024 NFL Draft, and one was a former Oklahoma star who landed with the Dallas Cowboys. That’s left tackle Tyler Guyton.

Here’s what Carter said.

Offensive line has been a strength for the Dallas Cowboys for awhile, but the team’s decision to draft Tyler Guyton in the first round now threatens to change that.

Guyton entered the league as a fairly raw prospect and struggled to refine his game as a rookie. PFF graded him at a 49.4, ranking him 116th out of all NFL tackles in 2024.

Dallas gave Guyton opportunities early in the season as he started from Week 1, playing 100% of the team’s snaps in the first four games. However, he was benched at various points and only started one of the team’s final five games. That lone start was in a meaningless Week 18 game.

Guyton had his struggles throughout the year, being credited with six sacks and 26 quarterback pressures. His 18 penalties were a huge part of his bad PFF grade, but he was a worse run-blocker than a pass-blocker.

The context I’d add to Carter’s write-up is that Guyton’s bad play seemed to come in bunches. Four of the six sacks came in the first month of action, and 10 penalties came in three games. It doesn’t make his performance look much better, but some of the rough patches were related and probably cascaded in those matchups.

Everyone knew Guyton was a raw prospect coming out of Oklahoma. He needed to add functional strength, and he flipped from right tackle to left tackle. Improvement is needed and will be expected with a full offseason when he’s healthy.

The encouraging part for Dallas and Guyton is that his limited play after Week 9 was better. He committed six penalties in two of those seven games but none otherwise, and only one sack in the span. His pass-blocking efficiency was dramatically higher.

The book is far from closed on Guyton, but it’s understandable why he was named a bust candidate. We’re optimistic things will improve for the big man.