One of my favorite times of the year is writing the Seattle Seahawks Draft Reports. I’ve already hit on a few: Byron Murphy II, Christian Haynes, Tyrice Knight, Devon Witherspoon, Zach Charbonnet, Olu Oluwatimi, Kenny McIntosh, Boye Mafe, Abe Lucas, Riq Woolen, to name a few from the last three years.
We’re still in Year 2 of Mike Macdonald, so it’s still early to set trends, just like it was under Pete Carroll. Obviously, John Schneider is still in charge and should follow some of these guidelines.
We’ll have plenty of players between now and the draft.
Let’s get to the Report!
Prospect Info
Name: Tyler Booker
Jersey #: 52
College: Alabama Crimson Tide
Position: iOL
Awards: – Team Captain; – AP First-Team All-SEC in 2023
Class: Junior
Style: Power
Comparison: DJ Fluker
Projection: 2nd round
Combine/Pro Day Results
HT 6’5
WT 321
Arms: 34’ 1/2”
Wingspan N/A
Hands 11’
40 yds 5.38s
10 yd split 1.96s
Short Shuttle: 4.84
3 Cone Drill: 7.96
VJ 27”
BJ 7’ 10’’
Bench Press 21
RAS: 3.93
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Background
Tyler Booker is a four-star recruit who has made an impact since his freshman season. Already in his sophomore year, he assumed the role of captain and continued to be a pillar of the Crimson Tide offensive line. Due to some OL injuries, Booker has played a few games as a LT, but the rest of his experience is as a LG.
Evaluating the prospect…
Run Blocking
The play requires a longer pull but Booker can’t get there in time and the defender can get in the way of the RB.
However, if he does get the timing right, the encounter isn’t the best for the defender.
This is a problem for outside/wide zone teams (Seattle included). He doesn’t have the lateral mobility to execute the reach block needed for this type of run.
He should block the MIKE since he’s not covered by any DL. Basic principle of zone running, but he can’t get there.
Despite being hindered at the beginning of the pull, he’s far from getting the block in the open field.
He takes the defender out of the way of the RB like he’s taking his little brother to school.
He can control and move a big DT with ease to open up a path for his RB.
Pass Protection
There are no unnecessary steps, he can adjust to the rusher’s movements. Once his hands are established he can anchor and nullify any rush.
Booker is very strong, so he usually lets defenders get to him, because he can’t brute force himself to establish himself. This isn’t the best approach for the NFL; he needs to be a little more active.
It’s the same as above. Once he gets his hands on the defender, it’s hard to escape.
Processing
He adjusts to the DL’s attack, since he has no one in front of him and the OT seems to be calm, he helps the center and leaves the defender on the ground.
He blocks without overcommitting and opening space for the looper. If he stays firm he can combat the stunt.
Helps the OT by passing the DT to him, and is ready for the EDGE’s arrival, even though he is a faster player.
STRENGTHS:
– Size / weight / length for the position.
– Mauler;
– Anchoring / Pass Pro;
– Strength at the Point of Attack;
– Game understanding for blitzes and stunts;
WEAKNESSES:
– Slow to get to the second level;
– Lateral mobility;
– Performance against Speed Rushers;
Final Thoughts
Booker is a prospect who is frequently linked to Seattle, as well as being listed in the Mocks in the first round. He is a great player, with a good floor and still good potential. However, his lack of athleticism makes him a scheme-dependent player, being more interesting to teams that play in the gap.
This does not seem to be something that can be fixed, since athleticism cannot be taught. Furthermore, he came down in weight for the Combine and still did not put up good numbers. John Benton and Klint Kubiak may be willing, if they really liked him, to bet on talent over fit, which I personally do not think is a good idea.
