Former Alabama star proves to be the most shocking first-round pick of the 2025 NFL Draft

Here's what I wrote about the pick for The 33rd Team.

Positives:

• Prototypical frame and build for an offensive guard
• Tremendously strong at the point of attack can twist defenders out of position
• Good tempo and patience

Negatives

• Terrible athlete who struggles adjusting when defenders get out of his frame
• Slow-footed in the run game, so he ends up limiting his range of effectiveness
• Punch could be more effective and consistently used

Team Fit

Tyler Booker is a good player, but one of the worst athletes to be drafted this high in a long time. Dallas has traditionally nailed offensive line picks because it prioritizes elite athletes, so Booker is a major departure from that.

He's a big risk and reach when the Cowboys had their pick of several other interior blockers or a playmaker.

I graded the pick as a "D", the lowest of the evening.

While I love Booker's physicality, the cost of adding a guard without an elite athletic upside is awful to swallow. Dallas hasn't picked this high in years, and to take one of the least-valuable positions on the field is a bad process.

Instead, going with a receiver or running back was more defensible. Booker must be a multi-time Pro Bowler to overcome the missed opportunity to find a starter at a more critical position.

We'll see how it plays out, but the internet was also not very fond of Dallas' decision.