The Dallas Cowboys still have to figure out the Micah Parsons contract. But in the 2025 NFL Draft, they got linked to two Alabama stars. And drafting one of them, another Tyler, earned a scolding from Mel Kiper Jr, according to espn.com.

Dallas grabbed Crimson Tide offensive guard Tyler Booker at the No. 12 spot.

“This was a reach for need,” Kiper wrote. “The Cowboys were 24th in pass block win rate last season, and Zack Martin retired. I get it. Dallas obviously wanted an immediate replacement at right guard, and Booker is a good player. It's a heavyweight fight on every snap against him. Movement is not his game, but there's no doubt he's a mauler at the line of scrimmage. I thought he was outstanding in pass protection, too.”

Mel Kiper said Cowboys should have looked elsewhere

Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Tyler Booker poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after he is selected by the Dallas Cowboys as the number twelve pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field.

The Cowboys missed out on Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona) when the Panthers grabbed him at No. 8. But with several standout skill players still on the board, the Cowboys went with the line. It marked the third time in four seasons they picked an offensive lineman with a first name of Tyler (Guyton and Smith were the others).

“The value is just really iffy,” Kiper wrote. “He barely clipped my final top 25, and he plays a non-premium position on the interior offensive line. Matthew Golden was on the board, and the Cowboys have a big hole at WR2 opposite CeeDee Lamb. Omarion Hampton was on the board, and the Cowboys had a dreadful run game last season. I would have gone another direction here.”

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However, Booker said he’s happy to be in Dallas, according to espn.com.

“I'm super excited to come in and to be a Cowboy,” Booker said Thursday. “I watched Zack Martin a lot growing up. He is a Hall of Famer. But I think I would be doing me and the organization a disservice if I go in there trying to be Zack Martin.

“I'm going to be Tyler Booker every single day I'm in there. (And) I'm going to learn parts of Zack Martin and what made Zack Martin, Zack Martin. And I'm going to add that to Tyler Booker. I'm not going to go in there trying to be Zack Martin. I'm going to go in there being Tyler Booker.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said NFC East opponents and quarterback Dak Prescott made this pick happen.

“When you make somebody the highest-paid player in the NFL, you'd like to have something in front of him,” Jones said. “That's kind of cute talk, but it's really fact talk. We are interested in making sure we had the kind of protection and frankly, if you will, the ability to move big guys out. That was a big part of the thinking.”