Now that the initial shock of the selection has worn off, many Dallas Cowboys fans seem to be warming up to the idea of potentially drafting another quality starting right guard after Jerry Jones picked Alabama's Tyler Booker at No. 12 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Booker projects to start right away, which can't be said of every first-round pick in this range. As the offseason goes on, the team and coaching staff seem to get even more impressed with what the beefy road-grader is putting on display.
Despite the fact that it's very hard to gauge offensive line talent from a padless practice, ESPN's Todd Archer notes that Booker has "impressed with his willingness to learn and work" in the summer. Booker has taken almost exclusively first-team reps, implying Dallas sees him as a Day 1 starter.
"Whether it's the responsibilities that he has to bring to the huddle or whether it's his communications on the line, he's doing a hell of a job," said quarterback Dak Prescott. "And you can tell this guy is a football player. Guy has a lot of pride standard in what he does."
Cowboys rookie Tyler Booker is impressing at summer workouts
Booker may have been considered a reach at 12, but many of the same people ripping the pick also had Booker graded out as the top interior offensive lineman in this class. With Hall of Fame guard Zack Martin having retired, Dallas needed to take a big swing to replace him.
Booker, who was named a First Team All-SEC performer twice in a row and a First Team All-American in 2024, has the size and mobility needed to be an above-average run-blocker from Day 1 in the pros. His ceiling will be determined by how well he can improve his technique in pass protection.
Should 2024 first-round pick Tyler Guyton figure out how to survive in the pros, Dallas could end up with four high-end offensive line starters all on rookie contracts. Left guard Tyler Smith is one of the best in the NFC, and center Cooper Beebe ranked in the top half at his position.
It's never a bad idea to invest heavily in the offensive line, especially after losing someone as irreplaceable as Martin. Booker may not have been the pick everyone was expecting, but he is being put in a position to start in Dallas for the foreseeable future.