NFL.com has come up with a fun little exercise, doing a draft do over from 2025. But will Dallas still go with Booker?
In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys drafted Alabama guard Tyler Booker, and you can say it worked out pretty well.
Booker had the impossible task of replacing future Hall of Famer Zack Martin, and for the most part, he held his own.
In fact, he was named to the Pro Football Writers All-Rookie team for 2025.
That's some accolade.
There's no doubting Dallas' selection, as Booker appears certain to lock down that right guard spot for the next decade.
The Cowboys and drafting offensive linemen in the first round, name a better duo.
But here's an interesting thought exercise.
If the Cowboys had a chance to do over their draft selection, armed with the knowledge they have now, would they make the same pick?
This is a fun exercise NFL.com has done with several writers.
Given how poorly the defense played, and in particular, Kenneth Murray Jr. and Dallas' other linebackers, Ali Bhanpuri has the Cowboys moving away from Booker and instead taking linebacker Carson Schwesinger.
"As much as the Cowboys might want to retake Tyler Booker, they don't pass up the Defensive Rookie of the Year front-runner in this redo," Bhanpuri wrote. "Schwesinger led his class in total tackles (146 -- 40 more than second-ranked Demetrius Knight Jr.) and tackles for loss (11), while hauling in two picks for good measure.
"His tackle total was just 15 shy of Dallas’ two leading tacklers' combined mark (Kenneth Murray Jr., 81; Shemar James, 80)."
I think Cowboys Nation would be fine with that.
In his rookie season, Schwesinger played 16 games and totaled 146 combined tackles, along with 2.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and nine quarterback hits.
The PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year, Schwesinger became a leader of Jim Schwartz's Cleveland Browns defense.
With Myles Garrett there as well, that is quite the feat.
Plus, due to the injuries of several veterans, Carson wore the green dot, something that if he were a Cowboy, he'd likely do as well.
Looking back on the 2025 season, Schwesinger is the exact defensive player Dallas needed. An aggressive player who has good instincts and football IQ, capable of covering running backs and tight ends.
If the Cowboys knew what they know now, you could make the case that the franchise selects Carson ahead of Tyler for the 2025 season.