The Dallas Cowboys walked into the 2025 NFL Draft needing a spark — someone to reignite a fanbase still reeling from playoff heartbreak and an uninspiring offseason. With the No. 12 overall pick in hand, the expectation was clear: Grab a dynamic weapon or a difference-maker. Instead, Dallas went with a trench-heavy approach, selecting Alabama guard Tyler Booker.
To say the reaction was volatile would be an understatement. As SB Nation’s Cowboys X account posted the pick announcement, the replies instantly turned into a digital meltdown. For many, it was the wrong player at the wrong time — and a painful reminder of recent draft missteps that haven’t panned out as hoped.
Micah Parsons Wanted Tetairoa McMillan, Cowboys Fans Wanted Anything But This
The backlash wasn’t just from fans. Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons, who was live on air during the pick, had a visibly emotional reaction when the Carolina Panthers selected wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan just a few spots earlier. “That was supposed to be our pick,” Parsons said on Bleacher Report’s NFL Draft show, shaking his head. “He was supposed to be opposite CeeDee Lamb.”
'THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR PICK!'
Micah Parsons was going through it after the Panthers drafted Tet McMillan 🤣 pic.twitter.com/6LSCdI2jYG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport)
That moment fueled fan outrage. One person replied bluntly: “This team is so f***ing stupid.” Another added, “Wasted time watching the last 1.5 hr of draft… hoping for a weapon. I’m not mad at it. Just not excited either.”
Tyler Booker, to be fair, is no slouch. The Alabama lineman is a physical, high-floor interior blocker who fills a long-term need. But fans didn’t want to hear about positional value — not after seeing McMillan, a big-play threat with WR1 potential, snatched away. “Extremely bad. It’s just hopeless, this team is a disaster,” one fan posted. “Pls delete this team Jesus Christ man,” another wrote in frustration.
Pls delete this team Jesus Christ man
— Fck That (@BoolinByler)
Parsons’ disappointment didn’t help cool things down. Even as some fans dismissed his reaction — “Micah always upset about something” — the star defender’s body language said it all. McMillan was their guy. Dallas missed.
And now, the front office faces another offseason of defending its draft strategy, while fans are once again questioning the leadership at the top. “Someone needs to get rid off this old man I am done,” one user said, referencing Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Whether Booker becomes a foundational piece or not, the damage control has already begun.
Tyler Booker Isn’t Flashy, But He Might Be the Brawler Dallas Needs
While Booker may not be the dynamic weapon or difference-maker that Cowboys fans clamored for, he will fill a need.
Pro Football Sports Network NFL Draft analyst Ian Cummings had this to say in his scouting report on Booker:
“Booker is a guard, and only a guard. And he plays the guard position better than anyone in the class. He’s a massive phone-booth blocker at 6’5″, 321 pounds, with 34 1/2″ arms, 11″ cinder blocks for hands, and surprising flexibility and knee bend for his size.
“Booker is an average athlete, which reduces his ceiling. But he maximizes his size, strength, and power with elite footwork, calculated hand usage, sharp gap and stunt awareness, and brute tenacity. He’s a great football player who shouldn’t be overthought.”
Only time will tell whether Jones — or Cowboys fans — were right.
They couldn’t have gotten Tetairoa McMillan anyways. He was already gone. If they wanted him that bad, they would have had to trade up.