Dallas Cowboys 2024 NFL Draft picks, analysis and rookie spotlight

2X3G8BW Dallas Cowboys first round draft pick Tyler Guyton poses for a photo at an NFL football news conference in Frisco, Texas, Friday, April 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

The 2024 NFL Draft is now in the rearview mirror. After a flurry of selections from April 25 to April 27, 257 players were selected to join the NFL.

With that, we give you our full recap of the Dallas Cowboys‘ draft, with analysis on every selection the team made during the weekend and an in-depth look at their top pick.

For more information on the players your favorite team drafted, it’s not too late to get the 2024 NFL Draft Guide, which includes expanded scouting reports, draft grades, offseason reports, unique advanced data, PFF grades and much more.

2024 DRAFT PICKS

• 1 (29): T Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
• 2 (56): EDGE Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan
• 3 (73): Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
• 3 (87): LB Marist Liufau, Notre Dame
• 5 (174): CB Caelen Carson, Wake Forest
• 6 (216): WR Ryan Flournoy, Southeast Missouri State
• 7 (233): T Nathan Thomas, Louisiana
• 7 (244): DI Justin Rogers, Auburn

Guyton — Dallas selects the former defensive end Guyton out of Oklahoma to reinforce their offensive line. He’s the 39th-ranked player on the PFF big board and is considered something of a project with outstanding athletic ability. He didn’t allow a sack in 355 pass-blocking reps this season, but he only earned a 59.0 PFF true pass-blocking grade.

Kneeland — The Cowboys recover some defensive line depth that they lost in free agency, as they pick up Western Michigan‘s Marshawn Kneeland. He is a natural run defender who improved as a pass-rusher as his career progressed. Over the past two seasons, he posted an 88.0 PFF run-defense grade, which is the best among FBS edge defenders who played at least 300 run-defense snaps in that span.

Beebe — The Cowboys continue to address their offensive line and grab one of the best offensive linemen in college football over the past two seasons. Beebe’s 91.8 pass-blocking grade since 2021 ranks first among all FBS guards in that span, and he allowed just two sacks from 1,206 pass-blocking snaps over that time. The question is where he plays in the NFL, with a move to center a possibility.

Liufau — Liufau plays with a competitiveness and violence that lends itself to some tackling inconsistencies. He is also a bit of a slower processor, but when able to read and trigger, he can make splash plays — as evidenced by his 35 defensive stops between the run and pass games over the past two seasons. He projects as a core special teamer with the upside to be a rotational linebacker.

Carson — Like many who play under head coach Dave Clawson, Carson is a physical prospect. He earned an impressive 83.4 run-defense grade in 2023, ranking 33rd among FBS cornerbacks. Carson will fit in well in a cornerback room stacked with playmakers such as DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs, having forced five incompletions from single coverage in 2023. The Cowboys get a projected two-round steal by selecting the Wake Forest product.

Flournoy — Flournoy offers solid production, averaging 2.67 yards per route run over the past two seasons. His best attribute is his hands, as he dropped just 3.2% of the catchable passes thrown his way since 2022.

Thomas — When you turn on Nathan Thomas’ tape, expect a mauler in the run game. Although he struggled in pass protection in each of the past two seasons, Thomas shows off his athleticism on run concepts. His 76.1 PFF run-blocking grade in 2023 ranked 18th among FBS offensive tackles.

Rogers — Rogers was better in 2022, when he earned a 70.9 PFF grade. He was better against the run than as a pass rusher last season, recording a 65.3 PFF run-defense grade.

DRAFT GRADE: B-

ROOKIE SPOTLIGHT: T TYLER GUYTON, OKLAHOMA

Scouting summary

Guyton is a rare athlete for an offensive tackle. He is a former defensive end and didn’t start playing offensive tackle until he got to college. That inexperience is still visible.

His strike targets to defenders’ bodies are inconsistent, as is his hand placement. This has made him more of a pusher than a blocker. Still, his natural physical ability is evident.

Guyton’s foot speed and stride length for a player of his size are impressive, allowing him to mirror without overextending. He can fire off the ball quickly, giving him a good punch at contact.

Click here to see Tyler Guyton’s 2024 NFL Draft profile!

Wins above average

WAA represents the number of wins a player is worth over an average college football player and is a metric evaluators can utilize to assess performance.

It combines how well a player performed in each facet of play (using PFF grades) and how valuable each facet is to winning football games. The result is a first-of-its-kind metric that allows for cross-positional valuation and predicts future value at the player and team levels.

Guyton’s Wins Above Average (WAA) since 2020.

How Guyton ranks in the stable metrics

Barton’s percentile ranks in the most stable blocking stats since 2020.

Guyton is a pretty big project, but he has the tools necessary to become an impact player.

The Oklahoma tackle produced a 97th-percentile vertical jump and an 84th-percentile three-cone, so his game provides unique explosiveness.

Guyton allowed only two sacks in his career but still needs to become a more refined player in order to consistently win at the point of attack.

The bottom line

Guyton is raw, but there aren’t many offensive linemen who have a better athletic mold. He has starting-caliber NFL gifts but must eliminate negatives in both the run and pass games to succeed at the next level.