NFL Trade Rumors
The Cowboys used the No. 12 overall pick on first-round G Tyler Booker, a sizable investment for a guard. Booker would likely have gone in the first round regardless, but what really drew Dallas to him was his leadership acumen. The team is envisioning Booker as a future core leader in the locker room, sooner rather than later.
“To be the leader of this [rookie] group, I take a lot of pride in that,” Booker said via Patrik Walker of the team website. “I’m just a natural-born leader, so with my fellow rookies, I’m excited to continue to learn and grow with them.”
Booker discussed his final season at Alabama and how it helped prepare him for the next level.
“This last year helped me a lot,” Booker said. “Not just as a football player, but as a man. Going into [last] year with a lot of uncertainty and having to weather the storm, and then just not having the success that I wanted, that I was the same person every day. Even when we were losing the games that we shouldn’t have lost, I was the same person. I was the same Tyler Booker, every day. That taught me how to be resilient even more than I already was. I feel like this last year, that last year at Alabama added more to who I am as a man.”
Giants GM Joe Schoen admits that the team was aware a trade could happen, leading to Travis Hunter being selected with the second pick and allowing Penn State DE Abdul Carter to fall into their lap at No. 3.
“One and two did go as we expected, and we had caught wind probably a week before the draft that Travis Hunter was going to go number two and it’s probably not to the Cleveland Browns. So, were we positive which team that may be? No. We didn’t know but had a pretty good idea of who it was based on previous conversations. It’s rare, but unfortunately that’s what you get when you’re picking three,” Schoen said, via the team website. “So, hopefully we’re not picking up there again, but the way the draft played out and the type of player that Abdul is and the fact that we were able to get him at three and the impact that he could make on our team, you couldn’t pass on a guy like that. Abdul’s demeanor, play style, the toughness, the physicality, just the play speed, he jumps off the film. Then his ability to affect the passer, whether it’s bending around the edge or up and under or stunts and games, he’s got versatility. So, whether it’s on the ball, off the ball, spying the quarterback, rushing the passer, we’ll be able to use him in a variety of ways.”
“We were fired up when we found out that Hunter went number two,” Schoen added. *“Again, it had been a couple weeks building that we had...
