FRISCO, Texas — Tyler Booker was 12 years old when the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line first got on his radar.
The Cowboys were playing the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 13, 2016. Ezekiel Elliott had two fourth-quarter touchdown runs in the fourth quarter that led the Cowboys to a 35-30 victory on the road.
“I’ll never forget that. I was just like, ‘Man, that offensive line is really winning the game for them,'” said Booker, the Cowboys’ first-round rookie guard. “That was years and years ago. That was like, what, 2015, 2016? I remember that game, and I remember that play, and I was like, ‘Wow, that’s what offensive line play could do.’ They just parted the Red Sea.”
In 2016, there was little doubt the Cowboys had the best offensive line in football with Tyron Smith at left tackle, Travis Frederick at center and Zack Martin at right guard. They were first-round picks in 2011, 2013 and 2014, respectively. They were Pro Bowlers and All-Pros.
Now nine seasons later, the Cowboys are looking to re-create the same feeling on the offensive line with Booker, the No. 12 pick in this year’s draft, Tyler Guyton (No. 29 in 2024) at left tackle and Tyler Smith (No. 24 in 2022) at left guard.
Last year, the Cowboys lost Tyron Smith to the New York Jets in free agency and took Guyton in the first round. This year, Martin retired, and two months later they drafted his successor in Booker.
“Our grades are very similar to what we had to Zack,” vice president of player personnel Will McClay said. “Some of the character traits, there’s a lot of things that are very similar. He’s his own individual, but he’s a grown-ass man like Zack is. So you put someone in there that makes us a stronger, more physical team.”
The Smith-Frederick-Martin line was built for Tony Romo at quarterback. Before the 2014 season, Romo underwent back surgery. The Cowboys knew they had to do more to protect him, especially up the middle.
The Cowboys also had underrated players at left guard and right tackle in Ron Leary and Doug Free. Now the Cowboys have Cooper Beebe, a third-round pick, at center and Terence Steele at right tackle.
With Dak Prescott coming off surgery to repair a right hamstring avulsion sustained in November, the Cowboys knew they had to shore up the front for the quarterback. While they would have selected wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan had he been available, the second best way to help Prescott was to take Booker.
“Unquestionably we were motivated that it does help our quarterback,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. “It helps our running game. We have had some experience with this. If you look back to when we had top players on our offensive line, and you look at the kind of success we had during those times, some of Dak’s earlier career, when Zeke [Elliott] was here early, we give a lot of credit to the quality of the offensive line for having that kind of success. That kind of success didn’t get us a Super Bowl, but it had us around the rim a few times, having that kind of strength in the offensive line.
“We need to play to our strengths. Dak is a strength. Enhancing that makes all the sense in the world, relative to comparing it to a receiver in the passing game for Dak. It makes all the sense in the world. If you think about it, they are both Dak-friendly.”
Now add in coach Brian Schottenheimer’s desire to have a “physical” offense, and his background as a run-first playcaller, and selecting Booker makes more sense. Plus, Prescott’s best seasons have come with Elliott and Tony Pollard eclipsing 1,000 rushing yards.
“After the turnover battle, the No. 1 way you win games is you own the line of scrimmage,” Schottenheimer said. “There’s a commitment to playing physical on both sides of the lines of scrimmage. This young man [Booker] comes in extremely powerful. He’s a mauler. Having guys like [offensive coordinator Klayton Adams and] Tyler Guyton to help develop him and develop the entire unit, whether it’s Guyton, Beebe, Steele. There’s going to be a commitment to us owning the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.”
Expecting Booker, Tyler Smith (who has been selected to the Pro Bowl the past two seasons) and Guyton to repeat what Tyron Smith, Frederick and Martin did might not be fair. But Booker wants to carry on the tradition.
“When I was growing up, the Cowboys always had a great offensive line. Always, always, always. That was a staple of who they were, and that was a staple of that team,” Booker said. “That was a staple of the NFL: the Dallas Cowboys having a great offensive line. I’m excited to continue to further that tradition, just like Alabama was known for having a great offensive line.
“I furthered that tradition there. I’m excited to go in and learn and do everything in my power to continue to further that tradition in Dallas.”
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