Cowboys may have stumbled into a superstar as a second-round pick angles toward starting
Dallas secured the services of perhaps the best pass-rushing defensive end of the draft when they drafted Boston College's Donovan Ezeiruaku. But pre-draft accolades don't matter if it doesn't manifest itself on a pro field, and while training camp isn't the real thing, what Ezeiruaku has shown in Oxnard has a lot of people extremely excited.
Rundown
Position: Defensive End
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 248 pounds
Hometown: Williamstown, NJ
High School: Williamstown
College: Boston College (Highlights)
Draft: 2025 Second Round (No. 44 overall)
Acquired: 2025 draft
Contract: Four-year contract (2025), $10.2 million
2025 Base Salary: $840,000, $1.85 million cap hit
Profile
With Micah Parsons not participating in practice due to his contract dispute, Ezeiruaku has been declaring himself as a true force to reckon with. Lining up primarily as a left defensive end, Ezeiruaku has shown a complex rush attack that is far beyond his years. He's also displayed the ability to set the edge, looking like he's ready to take on a starting role sooner rather than later.
Dallas brought back Dante Fowler, who left for a season in Washington, and the expectation was that he'd be starting opposite Parsons, but that may not be the case and if it is may not be for long. The Cowboys also signed Payton Turner, a former first-round pick like Fowler, as veteran depth. They join last year's second rounder Marshawn Kneeland as Parsons' supporting cast. That's before mentioning 2022 second-round pick Sam Williams, who is looking to return from an ACL injury.
Together, the Cowboys have assembled a tremendously pedigreed group at defensive end, but Ezeiruaku looks like a potential breakout star amongst the room.
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