2025 NFL Draft - 1st Round Pick - Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama

[Simpleton]

From an article I posted before the draft, pretty much says exactly what I posted last night about how Booker kind of got ranked based on a scheme-agnostic view given that he's not a great zone fit:

Alabama guard Tyler Booker is seen as one of the surest picks among the top O-linemen. The 6-5, 321-pounder actually has longer arms (34 1/2 inches) than any of the top tackle prospects, but he does not have the same type of agility. He also has massive 11-inch hands. He ran a 5.38 40 at the combine with a 1.96 10-yard split (Membou’s was 1.74 and Campbell’s was 1.76). For offensive linemen, the latter is a more important number than the former. Booker’s jump numbers — a 27-inch vertical and a 7-10 broad jump — also were far below the top tackle prospects.

“He’s strictly a guard, but he’s a really good player,” said OC No. 1. “He’s still really young. Just turned 21. Really good kid and he’s a leader.”

“He’s more of a gap-scheme, downhill guy,” said the national scout. “He’s not a great fit for outside zone or other stuff.”

 

[shoop]

From an article I posted before the draft, pretty much says exactly what I posted last night about how Booker kind of got ranked based on a scheme-agnostic view given that he's not a great zone fit:

Alabama guard Tyler Booker is seen as one of the surest picks among the top O-linemen. The 6-5, 321-pounder actually has longer arms (34 1/2 inches) than any of the top tackle prospects, but he does not have the same type of agility. He also has massive 11-inch hands. He ran a 5.38 40 at the combine with a 1.96 10-yard split (Membou’s was 1.74 and Campbell’s was 1.76). For offensive linemen, the latter is a more important number than the former. Booker’s jump numbers — a 27-inch vertical and a 7-10 broad jump — also were far below the top tackle prospects.

“He’s strictly a guard, but he’s a really good player,” said OC No. 1. “He’s still really young. Just turned 21. Really good kid and he’s a leader.”

“He’s more of a gap-scheme, downhill guy,” said the national scout. “He’s not a great fit for outside zone or other stuff.”

A 21 year old guard. He could play for the next 15+ years. Hopefully he stays healthy

 

[boozeman]

 

[Bipo]

 

[boozeman]

 

[Genghis Khan]

So is it his poor workout numbers that make people say that? Or is there tape out there of other times where he struggled on the move?

 

[Simpleton]

He's fine as a short-area puller in a gap-heavy scheme, what people are saying when they question his athleticism/mobility is that he wouldn't be a good fit in a zone-heavy scheme, particularly outside zone that wants OL that can quickly get out towards the numbers to help create cutback lanes.

 

[boozeman]

The pick is growing on me. But how is he going to pin and pull?

 

[Simpleton]

The pick is growing on me. But how is he going to pin and peel?

He'll be fine on that kind of stuff, he loses momentum once you get to around the 3-4 second mark of a play when he's out pulling but he can definitely get out on initial pulls, kick outs and things like that.

He just isn't the guy you want leading the way on a screen 15 yards downfield or running outside zone all game.

The lack of athleticism is overblown because he ran a shit 40 and isn't a great fit in Shannahan's outside zone shit that people love.

 

[shoop]

Looks like he may get some holding calls at this level. He definitely finishes and plays to the whistle. I don’t see lack of athleticism there. Maybe not Martin-esque but he seemed to move fine

 

[Simpleton]

Looks like he may get some holding calls at this level. He definitely finishes and plays to the whistle. I don’t see lack of athleticism there. Maybe not Martin-esque but he seemed to move fine

Yea, compared to a Martin or Zabel he's definitely not as athletic in space, but he's not horrific given his other strengths.

Martin and Zabel weren't 325 lb. horses with 34.5 inch arms either.

 

[boozeman]

Yea, compared to a Martin or Zabel he's definitely not as athletic in space, but he's not horrific given his other strengths.

Martin and Zabel weren't 325 lb. horses with 34.5 inch arms either.

The power he has is impressive.

 

[Simpleton]

The power he has is impressive.

Yea he's not perfect, you can see the lack of ideal lateral agility here and there, but overall he has perfect size, NFL-ready strength, and is as clean off the field as you could possibly get.

That's not going to bust, it's just a question of whether he'll be merely a good pro who maybe makes a Pro Bowl or two, or a very good to elite pro who makes 4-6 Pro Bowls.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

He'll be fine on that kind of stuff, he loses momentum once you get to around the 3-4 second mark of a play when he's out pulling but he can definitely get out on initial pulls, kick outs and things like that.

He just isn't the guy you want leading the way on a screen 15 yards downfield or running outside zone all game.

The lack of athleticism is overblown because he ran a shit 40 and isn't a great fit in Shannahan's outside zone shit that people love.

Pulling isn't what I'd be worried about. It's probably more the reach blocks in a zone scheme. Which is why he is a bit scheme specific.

Personally I love the big interior guys. They hold their ground to allow the QB room to step up and avoid the rush. And when you're as wide and long armed as Booker it's hard to get around them with a pass rush move because of the confined space. Imagine a double team coming at you with Booker and Bebee or Bebee and Smith. That's a lot of power even for a massive NT to take on. And what Dallas has always done well is those initial combo blocks to get movement and then move up to the LBer. That's the type of thing Booker is going to be really good at.

Ultimately I don't think he is a 12 overall guard. And for a team that doesn't play in free agency I think you need to use your limited resources better. But that doesn't mean I don't like Booker because I do. I want Olineman like him. I just don't want them at 12 overall.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Ultimately I don't think he is a 12 overall guard. And for a team that doesn't play in free agency I think you need to use your limited resources better. But that doesn't mean I don't like Booker because I do. I want Olineman like him. I just don't want them at 12 overall.

Exactly how I feel.

 

[Smitty]

Yeah unless he’s Zach Martin then 12 is too high for a guard. I think Booker will be a very good player but somewhere short of that.

But we could have done worse so I don’t want to complain too much. I probably would have gone with the TE from Penn State. We need offensive weapons and he would be one.

 

[Simpleton]

Pulling isn't what I'd be worried about. It's probably more the reach blocks in a zone scheme. Which is why he is a bit scheme specific.

Personally I love the big interior guys. They hold their ground to allow the QB room to step up and avoid the rush. And when you're as wide and long armed as Booker it's hard to get around them with a pass rush move because of the confined space. Imagine a double team coming at you with Booker and Bebee or Bebee and Smith. That's a lot of power even for a massive NT to take on. And what Dallas has always done well is those initial combo blocks to get movement and then move up to the LBer. That's the type of thing Booker is going to be really good at.

Ultimately I don't think he is a 12 overall guard. And for a team that doesn't play in free agency I think you need to use your limited resources better. But that doesn't mean I don't like Booker because I do. I want Olineman like him. I just don't want them at 12 overall.

The scheme-specific stuff is why I think a lot of the media guys had him around 20-25, because they're putting together generic boards without a specific scheme in mind.

If you remember the podcast conversation we had I mentioned how it was interesting that of the top two guards Zabel is the guy who really would've fit well with what we were doing basically ever since about 2014, but that I thought Booker was the guy who is a better fit for what I saw the Cardinals doing last year.

At any rate, I think he's a great fit for what I saw Adams running last year, and I think he fits basically any scheme that isn't one of the pure variants of a Shannahan scheme. Even the Rams nowadays are running more gap/power stuff without as much of the pure outside zone.

And I agree about WR, although if they add someone legit like Cooper or Allen then I think it's an interesting conversation.

 

[Smitty]

What if we add Cooper AND Allen??

 

[Simpleton]

The 1:55 and 3:15 marks are why I'm not worried about him being able to do the short-area pulling stuff needed on gap/power-type stuff, he's not the nimblest guy but he's not a complete slug either.

He also cleanly picks up a blitzing Jalon Walker coming at him with a running start at full speed, in acres of space, at the 4:26 mark if that sort of thing would interest you.

That's honestly one of the most impressive plays that I've seen out of him so far given that he's an OG with an elite athlete coming at him full speed while he's isolated in space.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

At any rate, I think he's a great fit for what I saw Adams running last year, and I think he fits basically any scheme that isn't one of the pure variants of a Shannahan scheme. Even the Rams nowadays are running more gap/power stuff without as much of the pure outside zone.

That does beg the question, you draft a guard in the first, you expect a 10 year starter. If you draft a dude for a specific scheme, what happens when your scheme changes? Is Booker so great that moving forward you are stuck with limited coordinator options?

I mean isn't that sort of against the grain of BPA? You're looking for best player, not best player in your specific scheme at this moment?