rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
FRISCO, Texas — As Tyler Booker spoke last Friday, less than 24 hours after being selected in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys, coach Brian Schottenheimer simply smiled a knowing smile, as if to say, “Do you see what we’re talking about now?”
Booker — the Alabama offensive lineman pegged as the replacement at right guard for Zack Martin, who retired — commanded the attention of the media room, talking about leadership, winning a Super Bowl, his upbringing, the desire to force the will out of an opponent.
Schottenheimer had heard similar things when Booker came to The Star for a visit earlier in the month before the Cowboys made him the top-rated offensive lineman on their draft board.
“I mean, it was just authentic. It was real,” Schottenheimer said. “His confidence, the way he carries himself, what you guys are witnessing right now is what we shared with our entire day.”
Best of NFL Nation
• Philly’s D is young, talented and inexpensive• Saleh’s fingerprints are all over 49ers’ draft• Raiders’ offense taking shape after draft• Does drafting a DE affect Hendrickson’s future?• Vikings built a cocoon for QB J.J. McCarthy
Since taking the job in January, Schottenheimer has talked about culture. Two days before the draft, he mentioned how “character mattered,” and it was reflected in the Cowboys’ nine choices, who will be at The Star for this weekend’s rookie minicamp.
Schottenheimer’s words were similar to the phrase former coach Jason Garrett would utter during his tenure in Dallas: the right kind of guy.
Booker was a captain at Alabama. So was second-round defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku at Boston College. Fifth-round linebacker Shemar James, not yet 21, was a captain at Florida. Third-round cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., worked at an Amazon factory, loading trucks before gaining a scholarship to East Carolina.
Fifth-round running back Jaydon Blue had to wait his turn at Texas behind future draft picks Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson and Jonathon Brooks but didn’t transfer. Ajani Cornelius grew up in Harlem, not needing a driver’s license, but when he transferred to Oregon, he got one.
Defensive tackles Jay Toia and Tommy Akingbesote discussed the pleasure they receive in seeing others make plays because of the work they have done up front.
“The football character, the football instincts, the competitive spirit were things that we were all looking for,” Schottenheimer said. “But again, I think we’ve got outstanding football players that just happen to have incredible intangibles in leadership. It goes a long way. Some of the best players I’ve ever been around, LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees, they weren’t just great football players, they were great people, they were great leaders.”
0:47
Donovan Ezeiruaku’s NFL draft profile
Check out some of the top highlights from Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Ezeiruaku sounded like being a captain was as desirable as the 30 sacks and 45.5 tackles for loss he had at Boston College.
“It meant a lot because I was voted team captain by my peers. It wasn’t a coach’s decision,” Ezeiruaku said. “My peers respect me, and we have that mutual respect and trust. It meant the world.”
Booker knows he can’t just show up and be a leader.
“You have to earn the right to lead. That’s what I will be looking forward to do first. You earn the right to lead by being a producer on the field, by doing everything right off the field and being somebody that your teammates love, trust and most importantly, respect,” Booker said. “That’s my approach when it comes to being a leader. The kind of leader I am. I’m a teammate-by-teammate approach when it comes to leadership. Just like you can’t coach everybody the same, you can’t lead everybody the same. But you can lead them fair.”
What to know from the 2025 NFL draft
• See all 257 picks | Pick-by-pick analysis• Kiper’s grades | Miller’s best 100 picks• Yates’ favorite picks | Overreactions• Kiper’s Day 1 winners | Day 2 winners• Sanders to Browns | Hunter to Jaguars
Ultimately, the Cowboys know the draft class of 2025 will be judged by their on-field abilities.
Booker started his final 26 games at Alabama and was a first-team All-American in 2024. Ezeiruaku led the nation with 16.5 sacks. Revel was likely set to become a first-round pick before he suffered a torn ACL in September. Blue was called an “explosive playmaker” by vice president of player personnel Will McClay. James is viewed as a sideline-to-sideline linebacker.
“This kid plays like he loves the game of football and there’s no turning down anything,” McClay said. “He’s running 100 miles per hour.”
Cornelius made the jump from Rhode Island, where he began his career, to Oregon, who won the Big Ten championship. Toia was a three-year starter at UCLA. Akingbesote grew up a basketball player but got better each year at Maryland.
“We feel like we’ve got some incredible football players,” Schottenheimer said. “But they’re also going to be influencers in the locker room. They’re going to be guys that practice hard. They’re going to be guys that play the right play style. They play to the whistle. They’re going to give us what we want, which is four quarters and beyond.”
