Mauricio Rodriguez talks about the pros and cons of the Tyler Booker pick for the Dallas Cowboys.
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00:00So the Dallas Cowboys just drafted one of the most dominant players in the 2025 NFL Draft and it is still a bittersweet one. Let's get into it.
00:13Hey, what's up everyone? It's Mauricio Rodriguez here at ADZ Sports Dallas. What a wild first round of the NFL Draft.
00:19I don't think anyone thought Jadir Sanders would make it to round two. I don't think everyone thought that, hey, the Jaguars are going to trade up in the top five.
00:28It was wild, but let's focus on what happened to the Cowboys. I think it became clear in the 72 hours or 48 hours leading into the first round that for the Cowboys, there were two scenarios.
00:40The preferred one was drafting Ted McMillan, wide receiver out of Arizona, and everyone thought if McMillan was there when the Cowboys went on the clock, then he would be the choice.
00:50But insiders, it became clear that if McMillan wasn't there, they didn't really have a clue as to what the Cowboys were going to do.
00:58You had some insiders saying that they would target offensive linemen. You had other insiders saying they won't do that.
01:04You had insiders talking about defensive line risks like Walter Nolan, who had some character issues going into Thursday.
01:11And then some people were thinking, well, they're going to go with Matthew Golden because they badly, badly need a wide receiver.
01:17It turns out the Cowboys ended up picking an offensive lineman, and it was none other than Tyler Booker.
01:24Now, I know it's an offensive guard, and as such, fans are not going to get really excited about it because it's not a flashy pick.
01:32It's not a sexy pick. And then there's also the wide receiver aspect of it, which we'll get into in a little bit.
01:38But let me say this. Tyler Booker is going to be a good player for the Dallas Cowboys.
01:43According to ADZ Sports draft analyst Destin Adams, he is one of the most straightforward evaluations in the 2025 NFL draft class.
01:51And I quote, his 2024 tape is arguably the most dominant of any offensive lineman in the class.
01:58But due to him playing guard, which is considered a non-premium position instead of tackle, other players have gotten more time in the spotlight.
02:06Destin Adams adds, he's low 40-time worrisome people, but one look at his 2024 film, and you will see Alabama wasn't scared to let Booker work out into space as a lead blocker.
02:19When it's all said and done, there's a real possibility he's the best offensive lineman taken in the 2025 NFL draft.
02:27He's going to make an immediate impact as a starting guard, and he's going to make a GM look very smart.
02:33If you read that scouting report, man, you've got to be excited about Tyler Booker.
02:38But I get it. The Cowboys need a wide receiver.
02:40But first, let me say this.
02:41Sure, Brian Schoenheimer talked about building this team from the outside in, but there's no secret the Cowboys love offensive line.
02:49And I will say this.
02:50You don't know what's going to happen with Terrence Steele because there are some question marks about his play.
02:55Did he improve in the back end of the 2024 season?
02:59Sure he did.
02:59The Cowboys were also getting rid of the football pretty quickly once Cooper Rush took over.
03:04Brock Hoffman looked pretty decent, but you could absolutely do better at right guard.
03:08And specifically, you could get a better athlete.
03:11And Tyler Guyton at left tackle?
03:13Major question mark.
03:15What I mean with all of this is that by adding Tyler Booker, suddenly your interior offensive line looks pretty darn solid.
03:23At the end of the day, by adding Booker, you have something less to worry about.
03:27Because you're not worrying about the right guard spot anymore.
03:30He's going to start over Brock Hoffman.
03:32You can lock that in.
03:33So if he's so good and if he's so dominant and if we should be excited about the pick, why are we not?
03:39Why does this taste so bittersweet?
03:42And I think the answer is pretty clear.
03:44I don't know what to make of the wide receiver situation.
03:47You shouldn't draft by need.
03:48I get it.
03:49You should draft the best player available.
03:51That's what the Cowboys did.
03:52And at the end of the day, you got to applaud that.
03:54But I think this was a reminder of how the Cowboys have neglected free agency for so long.
03:59Because you look at this team and if they had to start a game today, it would be City Lamb, Jonathan Mingo, Jalen Tolbert, maybe Kevante Turpin.
04:07Beyond City, that scares no one.
04:09And we've seen in the past how that's hurt the Cowboys time and time again.
04:14And if it wasn't with the number 12 overall pick, I just don't think they're going to get a wide receiver in the second round that is going to truly move the needle week one next season.
04:26And let me tell you this.
04:27You need that.
04:28So now it's up to the Cowboys to add a free agent that can make an impact.
04:32Maybe Amari Cooper, maybe Keenan Allen, or maybe make a trade for somebody that can actually impact this wide receiver room.
04:39Because right now fans should be concerned about the wide outs.
04:42But hey, Tyler Booker, don't hold that against him.
04:45He's a pretty darn good player.