Cowboys draft Tyler Guyton, Cooper Beebe to rebuild O-line

FRISCO, Texas — When the Dallas Cowboys have been at their best over the past decade or so, their offensive line has been the reason.

Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin and Tyler Smith were all first-round picks who made a Pro Bowl. The Cowboys view Tyron Smith and Martin as certain Hall of Famers. They have compared Tyler Smith to another Hall of Famer, Larry Allen. Health led to an early retirement for Frederick, but he was a multiple-time Pro Bowler.

But it wasn’t just the first-round picks. La’el Collins, Ron Leary, Doug Free, Connor Williams, Connor McGovern and Tyler Biadasz, all of whom were picked after the first round, were key parts to lines that led the way for NFL-leading rushers and Pro Bowl quarterbacks.

With the departures of Tyron Smith (New York Jets) and Biadasz (Washington Commanders) in free agency, the Cowboys needed to retool their offensive line on the run, primarily through the draft.

With the No. 24 pick, they were poised to take Graham Barton, the Duke center, but with 45 seconds left on the clock, they agreed to a trade with the Detroit Lions that garnered them the 29th and 73rd picks. While it called on them to forgo drafting Barton, they managed to grab Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton at No. 29 and Kansas State lineman Cooper Beebe at No. 73.

In the seventh round, the Cowboys added a guard/tackle in Nate Thomas, but Guyton and Beebe will be given the chance to earn starting spots.

“We weren’t even trying to be coy about our interest in offensive linemen,” owner and general manager…