Tyler Booker Is Quietly Becoming a Force on the Cowboys' Offensive Line
When it comes to rookie standouts, it’s usually the skill players who grab the headlines - quarterbacks, receivers, flashy defenders. But every now and then, a lineman comes along who makes such a steady, undeniable impact that you can’t help but take notice. That’s exactly what’s happening in Dallas, where first-round pick Tyler Booker is quietly putting together one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in the NFL.
And if you haven’t heard much about him, that’s actually part of the story.
In the world of offensive line play, silence can be golden. If a guard’s name isn’t coming up during a broadcast, there’s a good chance he’s doing his job - keeping the quarterback upright, avoiding penalties, and anchoring the line without drawing attention. That’s been the Tyler Booker experience in Dallas: low-key, high-impact, and exactly what the Cowboys needed.
Booker has started every game he’s played this season at right guard, joining a young and promising offensive line unit that includes second-year players Cooper Beebe and Tyler Guyton, the newly re-signed Tyler Smith, and veteran right tackle Terence Steele. That’s a group with potential, but it’s Booker who’s standing out - not with flash, but with flat-out execution.
According to Pro Football Focus, Booker currently ranks as the 16th-highest graded guard in the league. Among rookies, he’s in a class of his own.
He’s allowed the fewest pressures (16) of any rookie offensive lineman this season and has surrendered just one sack. Those are numbers that don’t just suggest competence - they point to dominance.
The Cowboys likely expected Booker to be good - you don’t use the No. 12 overall pick on a guard unless you believe in his ceiling - but this level of immediate production is a bonus. What they definitely knew they were getting was a high-character, high-motor player. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was reportedly pounding the table for guys like Booker during the draft process - leaders with a strong presence and a team-first mindset.
And that’s exactly who Booker has always been.
Back at Alabama, one of college football’s most demanding programs, Booker wasn’t just a three-year starter - he was a tone-setter. Coaches and teammates alike described him as one of the most vocal, emotionally charged leaders in the locker room. But when he arrived in Dallas, he made a conscious decision to earn his place before asserting his voice.
“I never wanted to be the rookie that came in here, talking a whole bunch on the first day when I didn’t really know what it means to be a Cowboy,” Booker said this week.
Now? He’s ready to be heard.
“To this point, I feel like I have a better understanding of what it means to be a Cowboy and a pro.”
That growth hasn’t gone unnoticed. Schottenheimer has challenged Booker to take on more of a vocal leadership role, and the results have been exactly what you’d hope for.
In matchups against some of the league’s best interior defenders - including Jalen Carter of the Eagles and Chris Jones of the Chiefs - Booker didn’t just hold his own. He dominated.
Two total pressures. Zero sacks.
Two wins. That’s the kind of performance that changes the tone of a locker room and fuels confidence in a playoff push.
Booker’s mindset? It’s all about leaving no doubt.
“Dominate - you leave no doubt in your opponent’s mind,” he said. “You play some games and it’ll be like, ‘Oh, you guys only won because of this.
You guys only won because of that.’ When you dominate, you want to leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that you were victorious for a reason.
I don’t only want to win, I want to dominate. It just pushes you further.”
That mentality is contagious. Just ask Dak Prescott, the longest-tenured Cowboy and the guy Booker protects on every snap.
“I know when he came in as a rookie or was drafted, he was already barking about those matchups [with players such as Carter],” Prescott said. “To now be on the back side of some of those, and for him to have played as well as he has and backed up his talk, that’s as impressive as anything.”
And it’s not just what Booker does on the field - it’s how he carries himself in the huddle, before the game, and in the locker room.
“You should hear the guy in the huddle. You should hear him before the game,” Prescott added. “His mentality, the way that he wants to dominate - he says that a lot - it's like no other.”
Cowboys coaches are echoing that same praise. Schottenheimer has made it clear that Booker’s continued growth is essential for the team’s success down the stretch. And offensive coordinator Klayton Adams didn’t hold back when asked what he sees in the rookie.
“Just what we thought we were getting when we drafted him: a freakin’ dawg,” Adams said. “He’s very confident and his confidence is built the right way and it’s built on his experiences and doing things right, rather than just being a guy built on ego or something like that. He is really built the right way.”
Built the right way. Built to dominate. Built to last.
Tyler Booker might not be the loudest name in the Cowboys’ high-powered offense - but make no mistake, he’s becoming one of the most important. And if this is just the beginning, Dallas may have found a cornerstone for years to come.