Jerry Jones: Dallas Cowboys ‘nailed’ selection of Tyler Booker

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team considered trading out of the 12th pick in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday. Dallas exhausted all possibilities but, in the end, decided to stand pat and select Alabama guard Tyler Booker.

The Cowboys had Booker high on their board, obviously. There was too much to like, Jones said, and he feels they “nailed” the draft by taking Booker.

“Yes, the way of what was there. We didn’t get a trade. We were there,” Jones said Friday. “[Walter] Nolen was on the board and Booker sitting there. I’m just saying, ‘what’s best for this team?’ What is unanimous, and I’ll tell you what we had that one nailed, and Stephen [Jones] will get into that if we can hear him. But we had a good plan to trade out if we had takers or had offers to trade out.

“So that was a part of the plan, but this guy is such a leadership person and such a dynamic person. His approach to football as a leader of a team within a team, the offensive line. That caused him to get our attention yesterday when we were looking at the likelihood of the possibility of him being there.”

The Cowboys had plenty of reasons for selecting Booker. The offensive line struggled last season. Zack Martin, the seven-time All-Pro right guard, retired earlier this offseason. Booker will replace Martin at right guard, with Tyler Smith staying put at left guard.

Tyler Booker thrilled to be a Dallas Cowboy

In his three seasons at Alabama, Booker made 37 appearances and 27 starts. He played and started in all 13 of Alabama’s games this past season. Booker finished the year with a team-high 87 knockdown blocks (7.3 per game) across 653 snaps of play.

The 6-foot-5, 325-pound standout was a permanent team captain for the Crimson Tide in 2024. For his excellent play, he was named a First Team All-SEC selection and a First Team All-American by both CBS Sports and USA Today.

Replacing a future Hall of Famer in Martin will be difficult. But Booker is confident and up for the challenge.

“For one, I would say turn on the tape,” Booker said, via Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com. “Because for three years at Alabama, I just straight up dominated. I was a dude at the University of Alabama. I was THAT guy.

“Actually, for three years straight. And it takes a lot for a person to be that.”