Rookie minicamp observations: Why Cowboys are so excited about their Day 2 draft picks

New York Times

07-05-2025

FRISCO, Texas — Regardless of how you feel about the Dallas Cowboys using another first-round pick on an offensive lineman, it's difficult for anyone to argue with what they did on Day 2 of this year's NFL Draft.
Earlier this week, The Athletic 's Mike Sando wrote a review of the draft classes of the 16 NFC teams with thoughts from NFL team executives.
'They got the best guard in the draft, and they get a pass rusher opposite Micah Parsons who can actually win with speed,' an exec said about the Cowboys' draft. 'Their pass rush is going to be a pain in the ass to deal with. The corner they got in the third might have gone in the back end of the first round if he'd never gotten hurt.'
The pass rusher that executive was speaking about is second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku. The corner is third-round pick Shavon Revel Jr.
Both have a chance to make an impact as early as Week 1. Both were in attendance for Dallas' rookie minicamp at The Star over the weekend.
Cowboys second round pick DE Donovan Ezeiruaku pic.twitter.com/HPkobonrv8
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 3, 2025
Rookie minicamp practices don't offer much in terms of evaluating performance on the field. The players were not in pads and they did not conduct team drills. The portion of Saturday's practice open to reporters was stretching and then some individual work.
What was noticeable about Ezeiruaku was his size. He's listed on the roster at 6-2, 248 pounds. All of Dallas' other edge rushers are at least 6-3. Being a little shorter than the other top edge rushers in this year's draft class might have caused him to fall to the second round.
These are the heights and weights of the four edge rushers drafted in the first round: Abdul Carter (third overall) 6-4, 250; Mykel Williams (11th) 6-5, 267; Shemar Stewart (17th) 6-5, 267; James Pearce Jr. (26th) 6-5, 245.
Ezeiruaku's production at Boston College was never a question as he recorded 16 1/2 sacks, 20 1/2 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles in 12 games last season. He uses his long arms (34 inches) and athleticism to get by offensive linemen.
'He's very explosive bending around the corner,' Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay said. 'He's got length to be able to engage with tackles, but his array of moves and his determination, leadership and who he is, we're going to maximize that. He wants to be the best of the best and he's going to do that, and he's going to bring others with him. He's got skill plus that drive.'
The edge rusher group is a deep one in Dallas. Along with Parsons, there is Dante Fowler, Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland and now Ezeiruaku. There will be packages to get more than two on the field at the same time, but it's also a good area to have depth considering how injuries significantly limited Dallas' 2024 pass rush. Parsons, Williams, Kneeland and DeMarcus Lawrence combined to miss 40 games because of injury last season.
'I'm coming here to work and do whatever the coaches ask me to do,' Ezeiruaku said. 'If they ask me to stand up or play over the top of the guard on some type of passing situation, or stand up and be on the edge, I'll do that to the best of my ability.'
Height was also noticeable with Revel, but for the opposite reason. He looked every bit of 6-2 as he worked off to the side on the resistance cords. To compare to other Cowboys starting cornerbacks, Trevon Diggs is 6-2 and DaRon Bland is 6-0.
Revel, who is working back from a torn ACL and partial meniscus tear in his left knee during practice at East Carolina in September, was moving well and did not appear to be limited on Saturday. At the moment, the plan is to have him remain a limited participant through the start of training camp where he will likely begin on the physically unable to perform list. But there is confidence that he will come off the PUP list during camp and be ready for the start of the season.
'Right now I can pretty much do everything,' Revel said. 'I'm running straight line. Cutting, haven't got too much into that. Just trying to take it day by day, trying to take it slow.'
Cowboys third round pick CB Shavon Revel Jr. pic.twitter.com/6LUFYAH63c
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 3, 2025
A healthy starting trio of Bland, Diggs and Revel looks good on paper. However, Diggs is also working his way back from a significant knee injury that could cause him to miss the start of the season. If he's not ready for Week 1, Dallas could be looking at a starting trio of Bland, Revel and either Kaiir Elam or Caelen Carson. The Cowboys could also make a move to add another veteran cornerback. Either way, there's a good chance that Revel ends up being an immediate starter at one of the outside corner positions.
'He was the top guy on our board,' Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said of picking Revel in the third round. 'He obviously had the injury issue. We knew that's probably why he was still available, because he might not be ready to go Day 1 of minicamp, Day 1 of training camp. You get a guy like that sitting there with his production and it was obvious that was the right thing to do.'
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was caught on camera doing a little dance in the team's draft room right after the Revel pick. Part of it was because they got a player they considered in the second round. Another reason for celebration was the combination of what they did with their top three picks, Tyler Booker, Ezeiruaku and Revel.
'The thing that I saw was a relative picking players that really fit,' Jones said. 'I'm not going to say it was need, but really fit to the leadership and to the ethos of what we would like to be able to claim that was (Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer's) first (draft) class. And I'm telling you, those three picks that we made right there, their makeup, to have that in Schottenheimer's first class will set a tone in terms of what's to go and it happens, it's there. … These are guys that are really the type of people that you want on the team and lead. These guys have that Michael Irvin stuff relative to leadership. And these guys are working to make everybody better. That was a common thread among those three picks.'
(Photo of Donovan Ezeiruaku: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)