Dallas Cowboys fans wanted their team to get a weapon in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. With names like Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden and North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton still on the board, fans thought a playmaker was coming to save their offense when they were on the clock with the 12th overall pick.
Instead, Dallas selected Alabama guard Tyler Booker on Thursday night and it was considered one of the biggest reaches of the draft. Even star edge rusher Micah Parsons had a mixed reaction, offering Booker a warm welcome but giving off the feeling he wanted to take someone on the defensive side of the ball.
But while the pick was labeled as disappointing, Booker is ecstatic to be in Dallas and may have tabled any “reach” concerns with one comment.
New Cowboys Guard Tyler Booker Describes His Playing Style as ‘Legal Assault’
While Cowboys fans may have been focused on 40-yard dash times during the NFL Scouting Combine, Booker was describing his game to reporters in Indianapolis last February.
“Everybody loves to play football when it’s easy, but who loves to play it when it is hard,” Booker said. “I feel like that is what separates the good guys to the great guys in the game of football. Ultimately, I love the aggressiveness and the tenacity of the game of football.
“It’s legal assault out there. I love football because of the brand of football I play, I make other guys not love football anymore. I do that every down by giving it my all.”
"It's legal assault out there... I make guys not love football anymore."
— Alabama Crimson Tide | AL.com (@aldotcomTide) March 1, 2025
Alabama's Tyler Booker describes his playing style to reporters at the NFL Combine: pic.twitter.com/Dm9bLT8xDc
This should be music to the ears of Cowboys fans and head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Guard isn’t the sexiest position but it became a need when Zack Martin announced his retirement last year.
It should also be remembered that the post-Martin era began early when the future Hall of Famer missed seven games last year with a pair of ankle injuries. Brock Hoffman slid over from the center position to fill the void but T.J. Bass was a liability in pass protection when he got his chance, posting a 45.0 pass-blocking grade in 200 snaps according to Pro Football Focus.
The Booker selection gives the Cowboys’ offensive line some balance. Tyler Smith was the Cowboys highest-graded guard at 75.0 and Booker gives them a player that allowed just 10 quarterback pressures in 395 pass-blocking snaps at Alabama last season.
It may feel like the Cowboys are giving fans their vegetables so the rest of the offense can be big and strong. But Booker’s desire to bury people should give the offensive line an attitude adjustment and more effectiveness in 2025 – even if it was a reach.