One of the biggest priorities for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason was to rebuild their offensive line. They lost both Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz in free agency a year ago and never adequately replaced them. To make matters worse, Zach Martin announced his retirement last month, leaving a massive hole at guard.
On Thursday night, the Cowboys took the first step in rebuilding their offensive line by selecting Alabama OG Tyler Booker with the 12th overall pick. Booker was widely seen as a 1st Round pick by experts, but most thought he would go toward the middle or end of the first day. You don't normally see a guard taken this high, but Booker is worthy of the selection.
Booker didn't "wow" with his athletic traits at the NFL Combine, but turn on the tape and you'll see why the Cowboys fell in love with him. He plays with a mean streak, which is exactly what you want out of a guard. He's an effective, road-grading type of run blocker, but he's just as good, if not better, in pass protection.
Across 970 pass blocking snaps during his time in Tuscaloosa, Booker allowed only a single sack.
Booker is an outspoken leader, too, and that will be welcomed into the Cowboys locker room. Booker was a team captain for the Crimson Tide and one of the players who held the locker room together in Tuscaloosa following Nick Saban's retirement.
Tyler Booker continues a ridiculous run of NFL Draft success for Alabama
Alabama is the undisputed NFLU. They had already set the record for most consecutive years with an NFL Draft pick. That record was extended to 17 consecutive seasons with Booker's selection by the Cowboys. The next closest team is Ohio State with 9.
And if you didn't see Booker's reaction after getting selected, well, just watch the below video:
Tyler’s too turnt 😮💨@iamtylerbooker | @AlabamaFTBL
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) April 25, 2025
📺: 2025 #NFLDraft April 24-26 on NFL Network/ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/fS8J5HOaNC
Nothing beats watching young men realize their lifelong dreams, man. Especially guys like Booker, who did all the right things during his time at Alabama. He stayed all three years, started as a freshman, led the way for an SEC Championship team in 2023, and then held down the fort for the massive change in Tuscaloosa with Kalen DeBoer replacing Nick Saban.
Booker, along with Jalen Milroe, Deontae Lawson, Malachi Moore, Jihaad Campbell, and a handful of others, will always be remembered for staying when they could have left. The 2024 season didn't go the way anyone hoped, but those guys bridged the gap to a new era of Alabama football.