As Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Tyler Booker prepares for his second NFL season, the team's right guard knows the road through the NFC East will be challenging in 2026. But Booker believes the team has essential pieces to match that challenge.

While discussing the challenge of facing NFC East rivals, Booker credited veteran defensive tackles Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark for helping instill confidence throughout the locker room.

“Confidence is the biggest thing that we have to have,” Booker told reporters during training camp. “Yes, we have to play them, but they have to play us as well...We play for the Dallas Cowboys. We have to wear that as a badge of honor. It also helps a lot to have two of the best in the business with Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark… Very thankful for those two guys.”

Booker believes playing with Williams and Clark has given him confidence in understanding defensive plays, as the team uses both veterans together in the defensive fronts. 

“And those two have just been really beneficial for me these past two days of practice," Booker told reporters during training camp. "Just me being able to go up to them and ask them, 'Okay, they beat me here, so what did you see? What can I do better? And we just have that back and forth."

The Cowboys are expected to use both defensive tackles in five-down fronts, which prevents offensive lines from double-teaming interior players and creates one-on-one matchups for edge rushers. 

While he praised the defensive unit for having veterans, Booker also expressed excitement to play his second season with the Cowboys after being selected as a first-rounder in the 2025 NFL Draft (No. 12)

"And then just to play with guys like Dak and everybody on the team," Booker added. "I have a real love for everybody on this team. So I’m just giving my all to get us to that common goal that we have. And that’s the Super Bowl."

While Booker credits the Cowboys' veterans for boosting his confidence, he believes the next step toward the team's Super Bowl goal starts with improving his own consistency in his second NFL season.

Tyler Booker aims to eliminate 'rookie plays' in Year 2 with Cowboys

Booker believes the continuity of the Cowboys' returning offensive line will help accelerate his development and eliminate the mistakes he made as a rookie.

“I showed some really good things on tape last year, but also had some of those rookie plays,” Booker said in the same training camp presser. “I really want to eliminate those from my game and just have steady growth as the season goes along. I want to see me getting better game by game. Not really game by game, but play by play, drive by drive and snap by snap.”

He has played for 1,003 offensive snaps and allowed 25 total pressures, including three sacks in pass protection, in the 2025 season.

With a full rookie season behind him, Booker believes steady improvement and consistency will be the key to strengthening the Cowboys' offensive line in the 2026 season.

Will Tyler Booker's Year 2 leap be a key factor in the Cowboys' playoff hopes? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore