The Dallas Cowboys have a young, big and talented offensive line that could very be the NFL’s best unit in 2026 and beyond.
The group, as a whole, hadn’t displayed that type of top-end potential before this season. We can now safely say the leveling up was a direct result of the addition of 6-foot-5, 321-pound right guard and 2025 first round pick Tyler Booker.
Booker has had the kind of dominating rookie year that makes people around the NFL stand up and take notice, with NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks placing him among the most elite first-year players.
Booker was one of just a handful of 2025 first round picks to receive an “A” grade from Brooks for how their season has gone headed into Week 16.
“Dallas’ top pick is on record stating his love of dominating opponents at the point of attack,” Brooks wrote. “After watching Booker routinely snatch souls from defensive tackles over 60 minutes, I’m convinced the Alabama product is precisely what the Cowboys needed to re-establish their bully-ball tactics up front.”
Booker Rare Mix of Talent and Ferocity
Booker battled back from a high-ankle sprain that cost him 3 games early in the season and has put together some pretty incredible game tape in his 11 starts.
He’s also established himself as the centerpiece of an offensive line that produced a 1,000-yard rusher for the second consecutive season with Javonte Williams, a free agent on a 1-year, $3 million contract who has career highs of 1,113 rushing yards, 4.8 yards per carry and 10 rushing touchdowns with 3 games to go in the regular season.
Williams rushed for just 513 yards and 4 touchdowns while averaging 3.7 yards per carry for the Denver Broncos in 2024.
“(Booker) exceeded my expectations,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on 105.3-FM The Fan on December 19. “He’s outstanding in the areas that we hoped he would be in. He’s a born leader … ”
“Cowboys Tyler Booker among all rookie offensive linemen per PFF (min 50% of the snaps): 1 sack allowed (T-2nd), 16 pressures allowed (T-1st), 72.4 offense grade (1st), 79.1 run blocking grade (1st), 61.7 pass blocking grade (8th),” Blogging the Boys’ Brandon Loree wrote on X. “(Cowboys) did it again.”
Cowboys Build Offensive Line Through Draft
Of the 5 starters on the Cowboys offensive line, 4 of them were drafted in the last 3 years, including 3 first round picks in Booker, left offensive tackle Tyler Guyton and left offensive guard Tyler Smith. Starting center Cooper Beebe, a 2024 third round pick, is the other.
None of them have been better than Carter, who made his bones with back-to-back dominating performances against the NFL’s best defensive tackles in wins over the Kansas City Chiefs and All-Pro Chris Jones and Philadelphia Eagles and All-Pro Jalen Carter.
“Booker blocked Jones 19 times in pass pro but only gave up 1 pressure,” NFL reporter John Owning wrote on his official X account. “Fantastic performance against top-notch competition from the rookie.”
“Cowboys RG Tyler Booker faced the best DTs the NFL has to offer in Chiefs’ Chris Jones and Eagles’ Jalen Carter in a span of 4 days,” NFL draft expert Dominic White wrote on his official X account. “The rookie more than held his own. In fact, he continues to display the kind of power that other pro OLs covet. Dallas has another star OL.
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