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12) Who needs to take a bigger leap - Guyton or Mazi?

20Questions_7_3

FRISCO, Texas - Football season is getting closer and closer.

The Cowboys are set to depart for training camp in less a month. That's when we'll get the first up-close look at Brian Schottenheimer's first season with this revised roster and coaching staff. When we get to Oxnard, that's when we'll start to get some real answers about this 2025 Cowboys team.

But what are the questions? We've compiled our annual list of pressing questions that need answers heading into the regular season. The staff writers, consisting of Patrik Walker, Tommy Yarrish, Nick Eatman, Mickey Spagnola, Kyle Youmans and Kurt Daniels, weigh in on some of the pressing issues.

Today, we'll continue the series with a focus on a pair of first-round picks in Tyler Guyton (2024) and Mazi Smith (2023) and which player needs to have a bigger leap this season.

12) Most important leap - Guyton or Mazi?

Tommy: Mazi Smith. The Cowboys are going to need everything they can get out of their interior defensive line in 2025, and Smith taking the leap the Cowboys have been looking for wouldchange the entire trajectory of the Cowboys' defense. If they can stuff up the run in the middle between Smith and Osa Odighizuwa consistently, then things will already be faring better than they did last season for the Cowboys. With Guyton, there's still help you can give him on the left side if he's continuing to struggle, and depth behind him should there end up being a better option. In Smith's case, there's not many bodies on the roster that have NFL experience in his role, which makes things more difficult and makes his next step all the more important.

Kyle: Anytime a this-or-that question is brought up, my first response is to see how it affects the quarterback. That means Tyler Guyton is the most important leap for the Cowboys success in 2025. Does Mazi Smith still need to take big step forward? Absolutely. However, Guyton's presence on the offensive line will dictate just how successful the re-vamp of the offensive line has been.

Dallas has taken a first-round offensive lineman in three of the last four NFL Drafts, with two of them being unproven as a pro. Guyton's success could solidify the re-build, especially if Tyler Booker stands out as a rookie at the right guard spot. Should Guyton continue to sputter in his second year at left tackle, there will be questions of how to further protect Dak Prescott in the future, which could mean more premium draft picks used on the offensive line.

Patrik: My reflex reaction says Mazi Smith, but as much as he needs to have a breakout year to level up the 1-tech role for Dallas, it doesn't trump protecting the blindside of an All-Pro quarterback and former NFL MVP runner-up who is returning from a season-ending injury that involved tearing his hamstring off of the bone after trying to escape pressure in the pocket. So, yeah, sign me up for Tyler Guyton needing to make the most important leap between the two, because the Cowboys will go as Prescott's health does, especially with Cooper Rush no longer in the mix — not that Rush did well in 2024, anyway (though he was much, much appreciated in times past for a higher level of play). Should the Cowboys lose Prescott this season for any extended period of time, their instantly in dire straits with Joe Milton still working on consistency of accuracy and Will Grier having played in just two NFL regular season games (Panthers). If the edge rushers of the NFC East and the NFC as a whole, for there are several elite and/or dominant ones, get to have a field day on Prescott's blindside, it's gonna be a long and unpleasant season in 2025. The good news is Guyton looks more ready for the task than this time last season, and must now simply show and prove he is.

Kurt: I'm going to go with Mazi Smith here. Tyler Guyton has reportedly shown improvement, but in the event he's still not ready, I think the Cowboys have some other options in Asim Richards or maybe Hakeem Adeniji. Plus, there are ways to scheme help to Guyton through chip blocks or lining up a tight end beside him. Scheming help to a 1-tech defensive tackle? That's tougher. Unfortunately, Smith has had a different defensive coordinator in all three years he's been in the league, with Matt Eberflus being the latest, and each has brought a different idea about how he should play his position. Talk about unfair. Still, there's a bit more pressure on Smith now to finally make that leap, both for his NFL future and the Cowboys' success.

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