Dallas Cowboys right guard Tyler Booker has been a solid presence in Oxnard, with the rookie, for the most part, doing this thing as a member of Brian Schottenheimer's first unit.
Yes, there have been some good days, but also some not-so-good ones, with Schottenheimer "demoting" Booker to the second team with some parts of his game not up to standard.
That's fine, and that is part and parcel of life as a rookie. It won't be strawberries and cream all the time.
But for The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner, he has rather high expectations for Tyler in Year 1, and frankly, so he should.
"The more I’ve considered this one, the more I’ve liked it," Baumgardner wrote. "Initially, I thought No. 12 was too high for Booker, but he was easily the most physically impressive run blocker this class had outside of Campbell and Membou. And I don’t care that he’s guard-only."
"If Booker stays in good shape weight-wise, he can be a dominant interior presence. He can also help change an offensive culture."
Taking over from future Hall of Famer Zack Martin is a tough gig, but Booker has the mentality to not let it derail him. With Tyler Smith now the leader of the unit, along with Terence Steele, the Cowboys' offensive line knows that it might be the tone-setters for Schotty's offense.
Being a run-first unit, the line has to create running lanes for the lines of Miles Sanders, Javonte Williams, and Jaydon Blue, and Booker will be tasked with moving defenders out of the way.
Are big expectations warranted for Booker in Year 1? We think so, and given his draft status, Dallas can't afford another Tyler Guyton situation.
Booker has to be good from the outset, which is a lot of pressure on a rookie to begin with.
