If the Dallas Cowboys are going to make it back to the postseason, they will need their offensive line to play at a high level. That was not the case in 2024 as they ushered in two new starters (Tyler Guyton, Cooper Beebe) and Zack Martin missed a significant chunk of time with an injury.
The Cowboys have made some pretty heavy investments in the unit, including three first-round picks over the last four drafts. They’ve also signed Terence Steele to a long-term extension and used another high third-round pick on Beebe.
But where does the unit stack up across the league going into the upcoming season? Lower than you might think. Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus ranked all 32 offensive lines heading into the upcoming season, and the Cowboys finished at No. 23.
"Considered a team strength not long ago, the Cowboys' offensive line is full of question marks. Left tackle Tyler Guyton’s rookie season yielded just a 49.4 PFF overall grade, which ranked 73rd at the position," Buday wrote. "In addition to Guyton, Dallas will play two other starters who are either early in their NFL careers: center Cooper Beebe and rookie first-round pick Tyler Booker, who is expected to replace Zack Martin."
Cowboys desperately need their offensive line to play better in 2025
The Cowboys are hopeful that with a young offensive line, they’ll continue to develop at a rapid pace and improve as the year progresses. They’ve also hired one of the league’s best offensive line coaches (Klayton Adams) to be their offensive coordinator and Conor Riley (Kansas State) to coach the line. Those two hires should help, but there is no doubt that some major questions surround the unit going into the season.
It does help that Tyler Smith is already an All-Pro caliber player, and his versatility could come in handy if Guyton struggles at left tackle. Plus, Beebe was significantly better in the second half of the 2024 season and should be even better in 2025, now that he has a full year at center under his belt.
There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about this group moving forward, especially considering how young and talented it is. They’ve poured too many resources into the offensive line for the unit to be even average.
But the fact that so many players are unproven (Guyton, Beebe, Booker) could signal that there will be some major bumps on the way.
One thing is clear, though: if the group finishes the year as the 23rd-ranked offensive line in the league, you can bet that they won’t be a playoff contender in 2025. They’ll need this group to play much better than they have if they want to get back into the postseason in the NFC.