I’m working my way through the 2025 draft eligible class and one player more than any other so far has stood out from a Seahawks perspective. It’s impossible not to be drawn to Alabama left guard Tyler Booker. He is one of the best pure guard prospects I’ve studied, perhaps even the best.
In an ideal world the Seahawks find interior O-line solutions during the upcoming season. They’ve just signed Connor Williams. They drafted Christian Haynes. Anthony Bradford is coming into year two. McClendon Curtis is occasionally mentioned by those watching camp.
However, with Laken Tomlinson very much feeling like a stop-gap, finding someone who can provide a long-term answer at left guard is appealing. Especially for a team that has gone too long without having what many would consider a good offensive line.
Booker’s tape is a joy to watch. He is one of the most violent finishers you’ll see. Go and watch the tape. It’s one pancake after another. He’s 350lbs but carries the mass well. He’s a former five-star recruit with a great pedigree. You can see with the way he bends his knees and gets into his stance that he’s a good athlete.
He combines his frame and mobility with a punishing style of play. He’s a nasty finisher. Booker regularly demolishes opponents but he doesn’t just do it with pure straight-ahead power. There are loads of examples of him getting on the move, pulling and latching onto an opponent in space before sending him to the deck. You see him reaching up to the second level and hammering people. He can judo-toss players to the ground with a great hip thrust.
If you want to set the tone up front this is the guy you want. In the running game he’s extremely powerful and just displaces defenders to create running lanes. Booker throws the first jab, jolts back his opponent and you can often see how he unsettles them on contact.
His combo-blocking is at a high level. His hand-placement is good and once he latches on he controls and finishes time after time.
He isn’t just a cumbersome run-blocker though. He can drop the anchor in pass-pro and you can’t get around him. Against Mississippi State you could see him reading the defensive call, identifying his guy as the blitzing MIKE and then just staying low, absorbing contact and sending his guy to the turf. There are plays where he doesn’t gain initial positioning with his hands but he’ll fight to shoot them inside, lock-on and finish. His feet are choppier and quicker than you’d expect for such a big guard and it helps keep him balanced and upright, even in battles against active, mobile interior rushers.
His size works well to plug gaps and as noted — he’s a better athlete than you’d think for his size. I’ve read some scepticism about his fit in a zone system but I think he can do it. Watching him on the pull shows there’s potential here.
I only planned to watch three of Booker’s games but ended up watching twice as many simply for entertainment. It’s not often you say that about a guard. He has the makings of a legit top-25 talent for the next draft if he declares. I doubt he’ll go that early due to his position — but that will only increase his value if he lasts beyond that range.
If he plays the way he did last year in 2024 there’s absolutely no reason to believe he won’t be a day-one, plug-and-play starter in the NFL.
John Schneider might feel interior linemen can be over-drafted but with a player like this, it might be worth testing that theory. Booker is the real deal, one of the best players eligible for the 2025 draft and he needs to be on your radar going into the new college season.
A final point on this — the fact he’s at Alabama helps. He’ll be playing for Kalen DeBoer. We’ll get to see how he fits in DeBoer’s offense and no doubt Ryan Grubb will be able to get the inside scoop on Booker (and all of Alabama’s offensive talent) to gauge their fit in Seattle.
