Tyler Guyton: Potentially Elite, Potentially A Bust

Hogs Haven takes a look at 2024 NFL Draft prospects that could contribute to the Commanders

Player, Position: Tyler Guyton, OT
School: Oklahoma | Conference: Big 12
College Experience: Redshirt Junior | Age: 22 this summer
Height | Weight/ Arm: 6’7.6” | 322 lbs | 34 1/8”
Projected Draft Status: Late Round 1 to early Round 2

Player Comparisons: Phil Loadholt, Andrus Peat, Jason Peters

Player Overview

Tyler Guyton has NFL scouts drooling at his potential and scratching their heads over his mistakes. He is a large and very athletic man.

The first thing to know about Guyton is that he is incredibly raw. He has far less experience than most of his peers in this or any other draft class. He was a defensive lineman in high school. Guyton began his college career at TCU, where he was an H-back and tackle as a freshman. His only start there was as an H-back. He then transferred to Oklahoma, where he started a total of 13 games in the past two years, missing several games due to injuries. He has the equivalent of only one season of starts at tackle in four years of college. This inexperience helps explain many of his shortcomings as a player. He played well enough to be Honorable Mention All-Big 12 Conference in 2023. He was a standout at the Senior Bowl.

Guyton understudied on both sides of the line at TCU, but he played right tackle at Oklahoma. That made him the blind side protection for lefthanded QB Dillon Gabriel. This, and his impressive athleticism, argue that he can be a LT in the NFL. However, his inexperience may relegate him to RT initially.

Oklahoma used an unusual mix of old-fashioned drive blocking (man on man) and zone blocking, so he has experience in different blocking schemes. Oklahoma also used him as a pulling tackle on some plays, something that is rare today, because of his quick feet and speed. You want to bring the Counter Trey back to Washington? He’s your man.

Strengths

• Size: He is huge (almost 6’8”, 322 lbs) he can add more muscle to that frame. Although his arms are not especially long, he has a large wingspan due to the width of his upper body. It’s difficult for defenders to get around him.
• Natural athlete: fast, agile, explosive (although explosiveness does not show consistently on tape); great feet, fluid movement, changes direction easily.
• Able to mirror pass rushers relatively well, especially in a short area
• Keeps his knees bent, nice base, good short steps, good slide, good grip strength
• Usually anticipates stunts well
• Effective pass protector most of the time; he can just absorb many Edge rushers with his combination of size and athleticism
• Can pull and be the lead blocker on runs
• Natural strength

Weaknesses

• Limited experience leads to inconsistent technique: his movement, hand placement, punch, and stance can range from perfect to poor on successive plays.
• Can get much more power into his blocks with better technique, and that shows most in run blocking (keeping his feet under his pads, maintaining balance, uncoiling his hips, using his arms well); he plays too upright at times
• On speed pass rushes to his right, he has a habit of punching with his left hand, which aids the defender moving to the outside. He did this so often I wonder if he was left-handed (which would make him a good fit on the left side), but I could not find any indication of his handedness
• Shows good patience in pass protection, but sometimes he is too passive – he rarely steps into the defender to disrupt his plan
• Play recognition needs improvement, as expected with an inexperienced player
• Some sources call him “immature,” although it is not clear what that means
• There are many instances on tape in which he does not play to the whistle or does not hustle if the play goes to the other side

Scheme Fit

Guyton is a lump of clay with the raw potential to be molded into any run blocking system, but his inexperience means that he will have a lot to learn with any system. He has the raw material to be Gap OT, especially because of his size and short-area quickness, plus he is the rare OT who can pull effectively. However, his athleticism makes him a good candidate for a Zone Blocking System as well. In either, he would have to develop his skills considerably. Indeed, he is the rare OT who potentially could be scheme versatile.

Let’s See His Work

Two Minute Drill breakdown: A quick overview

2023 Texas game tape (mid-season rivalry game)

Good breakdown of his technique from GSLING

Combine Testing

Pro Day Testing

How He Fits on the Commanders

Guyton is most likely to go late in the first round, and mock drafts that have Washington trading back into the first to get an offensive tackle often have them drafting Guyton. It’s also possible that Guyton will fall to them at the top of the second round if they do not trade up. In other words, the odds are decent that he will end up a Commander one way or another.

Guyton will have growing pains as a pro. He is still learning his craft. A team that chooses him will bet on his upside, although as always, the combination of high upside and limited experience makes projections risky. Zierlein rates him as someone who will be a good starter within two years, and I agree. But the path to elite status would require living with play that may be ugly at times. The good news is that the NFL is a passing league, and he is better as a pass blocker than as a run blocker, giving him a leg up in his most important job in the league.