Assessing the Cowboys depth at the tackle position after their first preseason game
The first preseason game is in the books for the Dallas Cowboys. While the overall outcome of the game isn’t of much interest to anyone, evaluating individual performances is. One area of interest is their offensive line. The team has some nice depth pieces, and it could be difficult to determine which guys they want to hang on to. Based on performance and which units players played with, here is what we can say about the team’s tackle position.
The starters
Terence Steele and Tyler Guyton are the team’s starting tackles, and without hesitation, the team had Nate Thomas take over the left tackle spot after Guyton’s injury. And despite being very raw himself, Thomas saw limited action in Saturday’s game to preserve his health, indicating his importance to the offensive line group. Suffice it to say, those three are locked in with secure spots on the 53-man roster. But then what?
The Cowboys have a few options competing for what is likely the last remaining tackle spot. Here are the top candidates to land the job.
Hakeem Adeniji
Background: A free agent signing this offseason. He’s a former fifth-round pick (2020) of the Cincinnati Bengals. He has played four years in the league, appearing in 43 games, starting in 15 of them, most of which were with the Bengals, where he even started at guard in the 2021 Super Bowl. He spent all of last year on injured reserve recovering from a knee injury.
The lowdown: Adeniji is a veteran who can play multiple positions along the offensive line. He looks big and clunky when he runs in space, but is more polished at the line of scrimmage. On Saturday, he popped out of his stance quickly and provided a wide base. While he didn’t maul anyone, most of his reps were effective. There were some clumsier moments, including the sack he gave up when the defender rolled right off his chest, but you could see why the team is interested in him. He doesn’t stop working and is always looking for the next guy to hit. In Cincy, he was used in power formations with extra linemen on the field. With new offensive line coaches who are committed to adding more fight in the trenches, Adeniji might find himself in the mix.
Asim Richards
Background: A fifth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2023. He’s been in the league for two years and has played in 21 games. His lone start came last season in a home loss to Philadelphia. He has shown promise in the preseason in each of the last two years, and it’s felt like he’s been close to landing the swing tackle job, but veteran Chuma Edoga has always been ahead of him on the depth chart. Because of injuries, he always finds himself on the field, and when he plays, the results haven’t been terrible, but also not great.
The lowdown: If you had asked this question a couple of months ago, many would have penciled him in as an easy roster lock and possible top swing tackle candidate. A lot has changed since. New players have shown up to give him some competition. Against the Rams, he’ll be mostly remembered for his back-to-back illegal formation penalties, one of which negated a nice run by rookie running back Phil Mafah. Besides that, he did okay. His hand usage needed work, as they were late to the party, forcing him to overcompensate and get a little grabby. While he did a good job using his length and getting wide, his movement was a little sluggish. He also tended to strike once and then let up as the play continued.
Ajani Cornelius
Background: A sixth-round draft pick this year. He was a four-year starter at right tackle, starting in all 50 of his college games over the past four years. His first two were at Rhode Island, his last two at Oregon.
The lowdown: A late-round rookie, he’s obviously a work in progress. Against the Rams, he was solid overall, but you could see a lot of his weaknesses on display. He was a little upright and struggled to get himself anchored in. He was seen lunging and was off balance a lot. Defenders always had him on his heels. Being a draft pick, the team could choose to protect him and give him time to develop, but the Cowboys have a lot of good options to choose from, and he could be a prime candidate for the practice squad.
After just one preseason game, here is my projected depth chart for the tackle position:
LT Tyler Guyton (roster lock)
RT Terence Steele (roster lock)
OT3 Nate Thomas (roster lock)
OT4 Hakeem Adeniji (roster battle, current leader for the last spot)
OT5 Asim Richards (roster battle, currently trailing for the last spot)
OT6 Ajani Cornelius (practice squad)
OT7 La’el Collins (cut)
