Dallas Cowboys: 10 Wide Receivers and Their Fit

Jalen Guyton, North Texas

What’s Good: Athleticism, Hands

What Ain’t Good: Off-field Issues, Consistency, Route Tree

Guyton was another Dallas Day visit as he hails from one of the best high school programs in the state of Texas. In fact, he was Kyler Murray’s teammate at Allen when they won 3 Texas State Championships. Guyton’s high school accolades were nothing short of fantastic…

Until he ended up in South Bend. After Brian Kelly worked arduously to land the former Eagle, his time in South Bend was up in a year. Afterwards, he transferred to Trinity Valley Community College and then transferred to North Texas where he’s played the last two years.

All of a sudden, a four star recruit finds himself graduating college from a Group of 5 school buried behind many other wide receivers in what is perceived as a deep wide receiver class. Fortunately, it seems Guyton’s pro day should help him create some noise leading up to the 25th.

According to Hall of Famer Gil Brandt, Guyton had quite the day at his Pro Day:

In a really crowded North Texas Depth Chart, Guyton did have some solid production accumulating over 100 receptions for 1500 yards and 15 touchdowns according to ESPN. His total numbers but his per game numbers were really inconsistent.

Guyton easily created separation against his defender so it’s not like he struggled against better competition. Not only was North Texas’s depth at wide receiver really strong, but also North Texas was a much better team than a lot of the teams they faced. This resulted in blowouts where Mason Fine was not required to throw as much.

Considering consistent production is only a minor issue, his route tree and off-field issues are the only major concerns. North Texas ran a spread offense requiring Mason Fine to get rid of the ball quickly. (That rarely happened but I’m sure UNT’s receivers are proficient at the scramble drill)

His tape is a lot of hitches, streaks, and outs. There are some more flavorful routes like post-curls and digs thrown into the reel but these three are his primary routes. He is very effective at creating separation, but at the next level that will only go so far.

In addition, his suspension from the Notre Dame football program will not leave a good taste with any front office. He seems to have figured things out as he was a member of the team’s leadership council. Much like defensive tackle Gerald Willis, Guyton will have to prove to teams that he won’t be an issue in the locker room.

In all, I think Guyton is an interesting prospect. He’s super athletic, and unlike his former teammate Miles Boykin, he can separate from his defender. He has legitimate production in an offense with too many wide receivers. He primarily plays outside but he has the quickness and speed to play in the slot.

As mentioned, the Cowboys brought him in for Dallas Day. I think the Cowboys could look to draft Guyton on Day 3 with the hopes he turns into a deep threat/slot receiver. A year behind Randall Cobb and Tavon Austin could really help his development as a route runner.

He would be a high upside pick for any team because of his natural talent. That leaves the question, will his maturity be an issue for the team that selects him?