FRISCO, Texas – When you're out of food, you go to the store and get some more.
When your car runs out of fuel, you better get to the gas station.
And when you start running out of All-Pro offensive linemen who are headed for the Hall of Fame, you better restock the cupboard with those too.
Honestly, I truly love this pick for Tyler Booker. And luckily, this isn't something that I've just come up with after listening to the Cowboys' speak so highly of him.
As the kids say these days, I do have the "receipts" for this one, having picked him in my 7-round Mock Draft and for our annual Pod-Picks that went out earlier in the day.
And even over the last few weeks, I've been lobbying for another offneisve linemen pick – mainly because I think guys like this can step right in from the jump and fill a need.
And trust me, this is a need because of what this team has had for so long in Zack Martin, who announced his retirement earlier this offseason.
Think about it – right guard was a spot you haven't worried about in 11 years. The only time you might have been concerned at right guard was during training camp in 2023 when Martin decided to hold out for most of camp. But as soon as he got back in the lineup, your concerns were eased once again.
Now, the glaring question here is just how much Tyler Booker can fill the shoes of Zack Martin, and how long it takes to get there.
Those are some rather impressive set of sneakers that Booker is trying to step into … but he should be up for the challenge. And if he's not ready, then you don't take him at No. 12 overall.
To me, that's what I love about picking Booker at 12. And really, I was fine with just about any of the offensive linemen worthy of taking here. The reason is simple – they're ready to play.
And sure, you can come back at me with Tyler Guyton, who obviously wasn't ready to step in and be the man last year. But I think we all know there's quite a difference between No. 12 and No. 27 – especially when it comes to being NFL-ready.
Not only that, Guyton was the seventh offensive tackle drafted last year. Booker is the first guard – there's a difference there. Guard might not be the "sexy" pick but if he's going to be a constant on the O-line for a decade and make multiple Pro Bowlers and All-Pros, then you might have a different opinion of the word "sexy."
When I think about how the offensive line is being built from the inside out, you have to be encouraged with the foundation.
You've got a 24-year-old in Tyler Smith, who has already made two Pro Bowls. You've got a 23-year old center in Cooper Beebe, who had an impressive rookie year and is now reuniting with his college offensive coordinator as his position coach. And now you throw in a 21-year old ready-to-play guard in Tyler Booker, who should step right in and play at right guard.
Think about the objectives for this offense – keep your $60 million quarterback upright and establish a running game with consistency. Well, this kind of pick should help solidify all of that.
Then again, let's not be naïve and believe that offensive line was the only position the Cowboys were considering. I truly believe if Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was still around, he could've been the pick. And it was down to the wire with Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen, but at the end of the day, Booker was the better choice – especially for what this team needs and what Brian Schottenheimer is trying to accomplish.
Schotty has made it clear he wants to be a physical team that can win the line of scrimmage and run the ball. Booker is exactly the type of player to help the Cowboys get there.
Now, it's all on Booker and this team to develop him to be that player. He doesn't come into the door with anything other than enormously-high expectations. He's not a Pro Bowler yet. He's not a All-Pro and he's certainly not a Zack Martin, who is headed for Canton.
But Booker has the tools to get there and that's why the Cowboys made him the pick. Regardless if it comes with flash or not.
