When you are a highly decorated offensive lineman at the University of Alabama, it often leads to a high first-round draft selection. We saw this continue on Thursday night with the Dallas Cowboys selecting Tyler Booker with the 12th pick.
It may not be the sexiest pick as Dallas is in definite need of a number two wide receiver, but Booker is a special player who will make an immediate impact on the Cowboys' offensive line. He does have big shoes to fill as the heir apparent to the legend Zach Martin, who retired after the 2024 season.
The last couple of decades for Dallas haven't been great with no NFC Championship Game appearances or Super Bowl appearances since the 1995-96 season, but one consistent thing for a majority of this time has been great offensive line play.
Considering how successful Dallas has been drafting offensive linemen, it says a lot that Dallas took Booker in the first round, despite there being a few big-name wide receivers still on the board.
Booker works hard, learns fast, and I'd be shocked if he doesn't become a decade-plus player for the Cowboys on the offensive line. If there is a player who can come in and take over for the future Hall of Famer in Zach Martin, this is the guy. As a Cowboys fan as well, I was excited for the pick and his excitement in being selected by the Cowboys.
Jerry Jones and his draft team haven't often picked Alabama players over the years, but just as Trevon Diggs has found great success, I expect Booker to have similar success from the get-go.
It is interesting to note that there are three Tylers on the offensive line, and of course, their job is to keep the highly overpaid Dak Prescott upright and healthy during the 2025 season. The expectations are always very high in Arlington, but with a new coaching staff and a lot of questions going into the upcoming season, one of those won't be about how good Tyler Booker really is.