The Dallas Cowboys have completed their offseason program. The next stop for the NFL team is training camp in Oxnard, California, next month.
One of the priorities for the Cowboys before the 2025 season kicks off on Sept. 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles is having first-round draft choice Tyler Booker ready to step in at right guard after the retirement of seven-time first-team All-Pro Zack Martin.
“I’ve really just been enjoying the process overall,” Booker said on Wednesday during Dallas’ final week of offseason practice. “Like, I couldn’t ask for a better room of vets. Like, we’re a younger room, but there’s still a lot of experience within there, so they can relate to what it’s like to be a rookie. Like, even guys like T(yler) G(uyton), he’s helped me out a lot. T(erence) Steele, Brock (Hoffman), like everybody, literally everybody. Cooper (Beebe). Like, I just really appreciate all their guidance along the way, and they’ve definitely made this process easier for me. …
“I love it. Don’t get me wrong, I love school. I graduated in three years, but I’m glad that my life is just straight football now.”
Dallas selected Booker from Alabama at No. 12 in the NFL Draft on April 24.
“The one thing that has surprised me?” Booker said on Wednesday, repeating a reporter’s question about his first seven weeks in the NFL. “Nothing really. I feel like I’ve really been prepared for this stage when I got in Alabama. And I’m not saying that like I know everything and I’m arrogant. Like, OK, I know everything to expect. But, to this point, really haven’t been surprised because I’ve had a lot of great leadership from my coaches and even some of my former teammates of what it’s like to be on this level.”
One of those former teammates has been Tennessee Titans offensive tackle JC Latham. Latham preceded Booker in making the transition from the Crimson Tide to the NFL by a year. The Titans picked Latham at No. 7 in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he played every Tennessee offensive snap as a rookie.
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“That’s one of my best friends in the world,” Booker said. “We’ve gone to high school and college together. So just asking him, ‘OK, how was your first OTA? How was your first rookie minicamp? How was your first minicamp?’ So just asking him a bunch of questions. And that’s somebody that I essentially grew up with, and I trust him a lot, so to have somebody who I’m so close with go through this experience before, it’s really helpful.”
Booker said the lessons learned from his coaches on the way to the NFL also had helped keep him from being overwhelmed by the pro game.
“The more you know football, the slower the game becomes, and, especially at this level, the game moves so fast,” Booker said, “So you have to make sure that, obviously, you know what’s going on as far as, like, what the offense is doing, but you also have to have a good idea of what the defense is going to do. And that’s something I’m still trying to learn and pick up on.
“But my football IQ, that started back to IMG Academy when I had coach George Hegamin. He actually played (for Dallas) years and years ago. My other offensive-line coach, Tra Thomas, he played for another team in the National Football League. And yeah, both of them have just gave me a great foundation of like, ‘OK, whenever three-technique lines up like this, expect this.’ …
“And then obviously having (Alabama) coach (Nick) Saban, Coach Wolfe (Eric Wolford), Coach Kap (Chris Kapilovic), coach (Kalen) DeBoer, coaches with all great football IQ. So just picking up little things from all of them, that’s definitely contributed to my football IQ.”
Without Martin, the Cowboys will field a young offensive line in 2025, with right tackle Terence Steele, a five-year starter, as the veteran. A 2022 first-round pick, Tyler Smith is a three-year starter and a two-time Pro Bowler at left guard.
The other two returning starters broke into the lineup as rookies last season – first-rounder Tyler Guyton at left tackle and third-rounder Cooper Beebe at center.
“We’re building great chemistry,” Booker said, “and just, like I said earlier, like having guys with experience right next to me, so if I ever have a question right before the snap, they’re able to help me out and lead me in the right direction. But I’m trying to make sure that that doesn’t become a habit, you know what I mean? I’m very prideful in knowing the offense, and I want to make sure that I’m not holding this one back by any means, so I’m definitely in my playbook a lot to make sure that I’m not going to hold the offense back.”
Booker said knew he had become “an annoying little rookie” to Smith.
“I’ve been watching Tyler Smith a lot, you know, just even going back to last year and the year before that,” Booker said. “… And he’s just progressed a lot, so I’m just always asking him questions like being an annoying little rookie. You know what I mean? But that’s the only way I’m going to get better, so I appreciate him for leading me and guiding me through this whole process.”
Booker’s first two seasons at Alabama turned out to be the final two of Saban’s 17 seasons with the Crimson Tide. DeBoer coached his first season at Alabama in Booker’s last one with the Tide. Now Booker has arrived in Dallas for Brian Schottenheimer’s first season as the Cowboys coach.
“They’re all super competitive and they show it in different ways,” Booker said of the coaches. “Coach Saban, he lets you know that he wanted to win. DeBoer, he showed you that he still really wants to win, too, but he showed it in a different way. He brought out the joy in winning. And then I feel like Schottie’s another great competitor, so I’m very excited to go through a season with him and many more to come.”
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at@AMarkG1.