AUSTIN, Texas — A pair of players with direct ties to the Austin area were taken during the 2024 NFL Draft.
Aside from the eye-popping 11 Texas Longhorns that were taken over the course of the three-day affair, two players who made their names as amateurs locally are also now on NFL rosters.
Manor native and former Manor Mustang Tyler Guyton was drafted 29th overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.
While at Manor, Guyton was somewhat of a utility player, primarily playing as a defensive lineman. He opted to play collegiately at Texas Christian University (TCU), redshirting his freshman year. The following season, he appeared in eight games, primarily playing as a rotational offensive lineman or in an H-back role. The highlight of his TCU career was catching a touchdown pass against Iowa State in November 2021.
After the 2021 season, Guyton transferred to Oklahoma with the intention of sticking as a left tackle. He would transition to right tackle before the end of the season. He became the full-time starter at right tackle for the Sooners in 2023, the only season he started entirely while in college.
Guyton may find himself as a starter with the Cowboys as early as his rookie season, after the team parted ways with longtime left tackle Tyron Smith this offseason. The team will likely decide during training camp if they want him to play as a right tackle, or more likely transition him to left tackle, as the Cowboys already have veteran Terence Steele manning the right side.
On Day 3 of the draft, another player with local roots was chosen.
Round Rock native and former Pflugerville Panther Casey Washington was taken 187th overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round.
Washington was a three-star recruit coming out of high school, ultimately deciding to play collegiately at Illinois. In five years with the Fighting Illini, he caught 122 passes for 1,508 yards and four touchdowns.
Washington will likely enter rookie minicamp and training camp as the No. 6 or No. 7 wide receiver on the Falcons depth chart. He may be relied on solely to contribute as a special teamer early on, but could see an opportunity in the offense as the season progresses.