Alabama guard Tyler Booker was thrilled to be picked by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night – and not just because of Hutchins BBQ in Frisco, Texas, where Booker said he ate “some of the best food I’ve ever had in my life” during his visit with the Cowboys.

“The thing that comes to mind is I’m blessed,” Booker said after going to Dallas with the No. 12 pick. “I’m so blessed to be a Cowboy. …

“I’m excited to get to work and bring us back to where we used to be and where we should be – America’s team.”

Booker said his selection by the Cowboys continues his association with the iconic brands of football.

“Just as I aimed to further the winning tradition at Alabama,” Booker said, “that’s the same way I feel about coming to the Dallas Cowboys, especially being on a team and being part of brand that’s so iconic, just as Alabama was. It’s funny, my track record, I’ve been able to be a part of some of the best organizations in the world. I went to IMG Academy, one of the best high schools in the world. I went to Alabama, one of the best football programs in the world. Now I’m at the Dallas Cowboys, another one of the best sports organizations in the world.”

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said Dallas got Booker after quarterback Dak Prescott missed nine games with injuries in 2024.

“It has everything to do with 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 have the kind of protection and frankly the ability to move the big guys out. That was a big part of the thinking in my vernacular.”

Booker comes aboard after Zack Martin’s retirement this offseason. The 16th selection in the 2014 draft, Martin spent the past 11 seasons as Dallas’ right guard. He earned nine Pro Bowl invitations and first-team All-Pro recognition seven times.

“Our grades are very similar for what we had for Zack,” said Will McClay, the Cowboys’ vice president of player personnel. “And then some of the character traits, there are a lot of things that are very similar. He’s his own individual, but he’s a grown-ass man like Zack is, so you put someone in there that makes us a stronger, more physical team.”

Cowboys competition Brian Schottenheimer foresees Booker earning the starting spot vacated by Martin’s retirement after the first-round pick played left guard for Alabama.

“We were, No. 1, thrilled about the young man, the power, the strength,” Schottenheimer said. “When you sit down and visit with this guy, he’s an alpha. He knows what he wants, he knows how good he is, he knows how talented he is, and I think you look at what you’ve got with Tyler Smith at left guard, Cooper Beebe (at center) and now you add this guy, the interior of your pocket, the core of your run game, all that stuff inside – we want to move people, we want to own the line of scrimmage and this is the guy that gives us the chance to do that with the pieces that we have in place.”

Jones said with that lineup up the middle, the Cowboys “might be able to Tush Push.”

Jones said the Cowboys listened to trade offers for the No. 12 pick before selecting Booker.

“This guy is such a leadership person,” Jones said, “and a dynamic person in his approach to football as the leader of a team within a team – the offensive line – so that really caused him to get our attention.”

Booker said he was not surprised to be picked by Dallas.

“I got a great vibe from them,” Booker said. “I kind of had a feeling this was going to happen. You never know on draft day, but this was one I was pretty confident about. I’m glad God saw fit to make me a Cowboy.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.