Our latest BTB Roundtable recaps what happened for the team during the NFL Draft.
Every week, we gather the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the roundtable. This week we have Jess Haynie, David Howman, Tom Ryle, Sean Martin, and Brian Martin.
What’s your take on the Cowboys first round pick?
On the opening day of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys made a significant, and somewhat controversial, move of selecting offensive guard Tyler Booker from Alabama with the 12th overall pick. This decision was part of their strategy to bolster the offensive line after losing veteran guard Zack Martin. Renowned for his physicality and leadership, Booker allowed just two sacks during his three seasons in Alabama and right now he’s positioned to become the team’s starting right guard.
Tom: While the immediate reactions were mixed, some rated Tyler Booker as the best guard in the draft, so that’s a positive. This was clearly a need-driven pick with the Zack Martin retirement, and I’m just fine with that. On day one, it is hard to fully evaluate the impact, but what stands out about Booker is that he is seen as very strong in the run game, especially when his assignment is to work in a phone booth to open holes and cut off pursuit. The follow up moves will be crucial, because this just screams more emphasis on the running game. At the end, the addition of two RBs makes this pick really make sense. It looks like Brian Schottenheimer is serious about running the ball, and Booker should help.
Just seeing a plan taking shape and having the Jones family deferring to Schottenheimer and Will McClay is cause for cautious optimism.
Brian: I have some concerns about Tyler Booker’s fit because I thought he was more of a power/gap player, but after listening to some of his interviews/press conferences I’m excited about the mentality he’s going to bring to the Cowboys OL. He should be a plug-and-play starter as Zack Martin’s replacement at RG and immediately improve the pass protection for Dak Prescott and upgrade the rushing attack. Even though I’m not completely in love with the pick, I’m still excited about the immediate impact he can make as a rookie.
Howman: I have no issue with the player. Tyler Booker is going to be a great fit at right guard, and he’s got the exact type of physicality that Brian Schottenheimer spoke about wanting. My issue comes down to the value of the pick, specifically with guys like Tyler Warren and Shemar Stewart still on the board. It’s hard to quibble with taking a good player, but it’s enough to keep me from being completely overjoyed.
Jess: Eleven years ago, Dallas added Zack Martin to the offensive line and watched it become the tide that raised all ships. DeMarco Murray’s huge year, Dallas’ big 2014 season, another big year in 2016 with Dak and Zeke as rookies; that what the Cowboys were thinking of when they drafted Tyler Booker. They’re hoping to restore elite-level play up front and seeing the entire offense benefit from it. Strategically, I get it. But thinking anyone can match the impact Martin had in Dallas is risky.
Sean: I love this pick for so many reasons. Of course, the most obvious reason is the way Dallas instantly upgraded the choices to replace a future Hall of Fame right guard from unproven swing players and career backups, to a blue-chip prospect. The second reason is his plus scheme fit in Klayton Adams’ approach to offensive line play. The criticisms of this pick are all very fair, like how the Cowboys have gone this route of building a “great wall” before but the areas they lack in because of it hinder them in big games.
There is also the ongoing comparisons between Brian Schottenheimer and Jason Garrett, only getting stronger after drafting Booker. Let’s not forget though that it took Garrett multiple years to build the offensive line into the best in the NFL, and now Schottenheimer may be starting out at this point.
Also, it’s easy to forget just how bad and dysfunctional the Cowboys were a year ago en route to a 7-10 finish, so some of that Garrett era stability and getting back on track to a winning season should be welcome. Continuing the process by getting better at the line of scrimmage is never, ever a bad idea. Tyler Booker helps them achieve this and then some.
What do you make of the Cowboys draft picks on Day 2?
On Day 2 the Cowboys focused on bolstering their defense and secondary. In the second round, they selected defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku from Boston College with the 44th overall pick. Ezeiruaku had an impressive college career, tying the Boston College single-season sack record with 16.5 sacks in 2024 and earning the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award. This was one of the best value picks of the draft and very few experts had anything bad to say on the Ezeiruaku pick.
In the third round, with the 76th overall pick, the Cowboys drafted cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. from East Carolina. Revel was once projected as a first-round talent before an ACL injury but is now considered a high-upside addition to Dallas’s secondary. This pick carries the most questions out of Dallas’ first three selections, but if right Revel could make this draft class one of the best in recent Cowboys history.
Tom: Lots of best player at position of need here, and that’s a very good thing. A couple of draftniks here thought these were excellent choices in terms of value. Mike Poland had Donovan Ezeiruaku as a borderline first-round talent and Shavon Revel as a solid second-round prospect on his big board. David Howman had both of them on his list of the 15 best remaining players after round one.
Ezeiruaku showed a desire to build from the inside out as the follow-up to Booker. That’s a very solid approach. And Revel filled another big need. This is rather impressive.
With so many needs to address the team had to make some hard choices. The lack of offensive skill players is still a concern. Still, it is hard to criticize what they did with the ammo they had.
Brian: Although we wanted to see the Cowboys upgrade their skill positions with an impactful RB or WR, I can’t find any fault in them drafting Donovan Ezeiruaku or Shavon Revel in the second and third round. Both of these players received some first-round love during the draft process year and both of them could potentially play key roles as rookies early on with the Cowboys.
Howman: Day 2 was a dream come true. Donovan Ezeiruaku was a first-round prospect in my opinion, while Shavon Revel Jr. has first-round talent when healthy. Assuming Revel is physically good to go, I see both of these guys being impact players on defense as rookies.
Jess: Getting Revel in the third round was a great steal. I’m not as high on the Ezeiruaku pick as others, but more for the positional need than anything. He was a great value add and probably benefits us a lot in the long term. But they could’ve had the same with Will Johnson with a bigger need at CB, or gone WR with Tre Harris. If we were going to take a DE early, I would’ve preferred someone with more run-stopping potential.
Sean: There are certain philosophies when it comes to the NFL draft that stick to you more than others, and I have one that stands out head and shoulders above the rest. If you feel set at a certain position group, and don’t plan on adding to it with a premium draft pick or high-profile free agent, that is actually the best time to do so. So many teams stop themselves short of having one position group that can flat out take over games because of this, and the Cowboys have been no stranger to this. This made the Ezeiruaku pick very exciting, as the Cowboys have a full stable of athletic pass rushers with Micah Parsons leading the pack.
As for the Revel pick, there is a very, very glass half full view on this where the Cowboys also made this pick to strengthen an already strong position, but that is dependent on getting full seasons out of Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland. Much more likely, Revel is going to be forced into action at some point, go through his bumps and bruises just like Caelen Carson a year ago, and hopefully come out the other side of it a better player. Everything being reported about Revel in his return from injury indicates he is absolutely the type of prospect to bet on completing this journey. He is also a great scheme fit for Matt Eberflus.
The Cowboys pulled off a BPA masterclass on Day 2.
Which of the Day 3 picks is your favorite?
On Day 3, Dallas made six selections. In the fifth round, they picked running back Jaydon Blue from Texas, known for his speed and receiving skills, and linebacker Shemar James from Florida, adding depth to their linebacker corps. The sixth round saw the addition of a second offensive lineman, Ajani Cornelius from Oregon, aiming to add more competition to the offensive front. In the seventh round, the Cowboys selected running back Phil Mafah from Clemson and defensive tackles Jay Toia from UCLA and Tommy Akingbesote from Maryland, focusing on enhancing their defensive line depth
Tom: I’m picking DT Jay Toia. Dallas has been looking for a big, hard to move run stopper for a long time and he looks like exactly that. Got my pet cat.
Brian: I’m going to have to agree with Tom here and go with DT Jay Toia. He fills a huge need in the middle the Cowboys DL and should immediately upgrade their porous run defense as a rookie. I think there’s a good chance he supplants Mazi Smith as the starting 1-technique prior to the start of the 2025 NFL season.
Howman: I honestly really like all of the Day 3 picks, even if I don’t expect many of them to see significant snaps in 2025. Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah are low hanging fruit, but I’ll pump up Ajani Cornelius. He’s got some really intriguing physical tools but needs some technical refinement. If he hunkers down and learns everything he can from Conor Riley, I think Cornelius could be ready to start at right tackle in 2026, when Terence Steele’s contract conveniently has an out.
Jess: Phil Mafah seems like a perfect addition this this mix. Their only short-yardage option before him was Hunter Luepke, who hasn’t shown himself to be a real threat in that role. While Jaydon Blue may get more touches, I still see Mafah getting significant ones in key moments.
Sean: If Day 2 was a BPA masterclass, Day 3 was more of the same but with slightly more of a nod towards addressing team needs. Just a few days removed from the draft now, there are real conversations about how all three seventh-round picks in Mafa, Toia, and Akingbesote can contribute right away. By the sixth round, other teams were taking special teams players and FCS quarterbacks. The Cowboys were locked in on finding players that can help a team that had virtually no depth a year ago, and stuck with it until the end.
Including the team’s UDFA signings, what grade do you give this Cowboys draft?
This was a huge BPA type draft where Dallas took great value prospects with every pick. A lot of high-character players that all have huge leadership qualities which speaks a lot about what Schottenheimer looks for in his future prospects. PFF.com gave Dallas an A+ grade for their draft and many felt this was one of the better draft classes this year. Let us know in the comments what grade you give this year’s Dallas Cowboys draft.
Tom: I don’t need to see the UDFA signings. While we have to see them on the field, this is a good bunch. I say it’s an A-. Only the lack of a receiver keeps me from giving it an A.
Brian: I think I’m going to have to give the Cowboys 2025 draft class a B+ grade. Not drafting a WR is a significant concern and I don’t really think they upgraded the RB position either. Add that to my concerns about Tyler Booker’s fit in what I expect to continue to be a zone blocking scheme and that keeps me from giving them anything better than a B+ grade. I still really liked what they did despite my concerns.
Howman: I agree with Brian, it’s a B+ from me. If receiver had already been addressed, it would’ve been an A- in my mind. Day 2 brought some incredible value, and Day 3 bolstered depth in many key areas. I’m not sure there’s more than five eventual starters in this class, but that’s still an incredible number.
Jess: It’s a B- for me. My top five needs before the draft were RB, WR, CB, DT, and OT. They only addressed one of them before the fifth round and not without opportunities to do better. It does seem like they made good value picks early, so that helps. You can do that if you’re also going to attack your needs in free agency, but as long as Dallas is going to lean heavily on the draft then they get more scrutiny for leaving needs unsatisfied.
Sean: I give this Cowboys draft class a very solid B+. This is the type of B+ where your first question for the teacher is how far off you were from an A, you find out it was only one or two, and then go play outside to forget about the frustration of all that. This team stuck to their word of getting better in the trenches, waited until their last two picks to find DT help but still did so with quality 1-technique players, bolstered the pass rush group around Parsons, and likely did just enough at RB to piece a better plan together compared to 2024. The lack of wide receiver help may very well come back to hurt them against top competition, and further help at cornerback would be appreciated, but for a team going into a season with a first-year head coach, this is the type of draft that helps lay a very solid foundation.
As for a final nugget on a Cowboys UDFA signing that peaks my interest, look out for Auburn tight end Rivaldo Fairweather. The 6’3” TE is a massive target, joining a room that already has Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Brevyn Spann-Ford, John Stephens Jr., and Princeton Fant. It would appear something is brewing between Schottenheimer and Adams when it comes to utilizing all of their tight ends, which is in line with how Schotty has talked about using “reduced splits” and tight formations. This group has a lot of intrigue, but Ferguson and Schoonmaker certainly have the inside track to play the most snaps. Fairweather will have his work cut out for him, but even if he doesn’t make the team, my bet is on him making a few highlight reel catches in training camp to quickly become a fan favorite.