Over the last ten years, only three guards have been selected higher than Tyler Booker in the NFL Draft. So, naturally, selecting the former Alabama product 12th overall did not come without its critics.
Fans wanted a flashy pick in the first round, and the front office denied them in favor of one of the lowest valued positions in the entire sport.
When you make that kind of choice, you had better hit on it.
Missing on a quarterback, wide receiver, etc., high in the draft is understandable; you were swinging for the fences at the most important positions. Missing on a guard in the top 12 is rarely seen in the same light.
In short, Tyler Booker has a ton of pressure on his shoulders this season and in the future. If he doesn’t at least meet the expectations set by previous top-12 guards, the pick will be lambasted.
To gauge what those expectations are, let’s examine the three guards who preceded Booker and what they brought to the table early on.
2023 NFL Draft: Peter Skoronski, 11th Overall, Tennessee Titans
Tyler Booker broke a shorter streak than normal in this regard, as the Titans selected former Northwestern guard Peter Skoronski 11th overall just two years ago. When that pick was made, it had been five years since the last top-12 guard.
Skoronski came into the league as a tackle in college with fairly high expectations, as Tennessee passed on various future Pro Bowlers to snag him.
Unlike Booker, he did not enter the league with a position set in concrete.
Dallas is, without a question of a doubt, starting Booker at right guard. The Titans shifted Skoronski from tackle to guard, and eventually settled on the left guard spot as his domain.
How has it worked out? Well, when Jahmyr Gibbs is the pick right after you, it’s tough to combat the “bad pick” allegations, but that may not be fair.
While Peter Skoronski hasn’t been named to a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, he has quietly been a stabilizing force in Tennessee with the potential to truly blossom in 2025. If that were Booker’s story, most would be disappointed, but stability is needed in Dallas.
2018 NFL Draft: Quenton Nelson, 6th Overall, Indianapolis Colts
In a perfect world, Tyler Booker follows the exact same career path as former top-6 pick Quenton Nelson.
The 2018 NFL Draft was headlined by Baker Mayfield and Saquon Barkley, but Nelson was the true top player in the class. He was clearly a generational prospect coming out of Notre Dame, and the Colts acted on that.
In the seven seasons since, Nelson has become a 7x Pro Bowler and 5x All-Pro. He is the anchor of the Colts’ offense and the best guard in the entire league.
This is where it’s good to offer some caution when it comes to Booker; it is simply unrealistic to hold him to this standard, and we cannot start to doubt him solely if he isn’t replicating Nelson-level success.
There is always a happy medium, and to this point, a better start than Skoronski and a bit below Nelson’s is that place.
2015 NFL Draft: Brandon Scherff, 5th Overall, Washington Redskins
Now, when I say the history is on Booker’s side, this is why.
In the last decade, there has not been a single top-12 guard who has gone on to become a “bust.” Even Skoronski has a clear place in the Titans’ future and an upward trajectory in general.
Brandon Scherff, the 5th pick in the 2015 draft, has played in the NFL for ten seasons as a member of both the Redskins and the Washington Football Team, as well as in Jacksonville.
The former Iowa Hawkeye was one of a few bright spots during that time for Washington, as he was named to five Pro Bowls and became an All-Pro in 2020.
He, like the guards that would come after him, was highly touted as a draft prospect for his immediate impact ability. Tyler Booker shares this trait, and it is what will propel him towards a career that mirrors these guys.
As long as he works hard and is coached well, this hot streak of top-12 guards will continue once again.
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