Latest news with #JayToia
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Dallas Cowboys Rookie Impressing Early during OTAs
Dallas Cowboys Rookie Impressing Early during OTAs originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Dallas Cowboys selected UCLA defensive tackle Jay Toia with pick No. 217 in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. ... and wouldn't it be nice is he could work out as well as the last Bruin to the 'Boys? Advertisement The last UCLA defensive tackle drafted by the Cowboys was Osa Odighizuwa and that has worked out beautifully. Toia is a former rugby player who doesn't shy away from physicality. The 6-2, 341-pound Inglewood native fills an immediate need for the Cowboys as a run-stopping defensive tackle. Maybe as a backup. Maybe as something more. On Thursday at voluntary OTAs, Toia received first-team reps with the team's starters. Healthy competition is vital to a team's success to make sure players are constantly pushing each other and looking to get better. ... and maybe that's all this is. Or maybe this signifies a major change - and an admission that Dallas' major roster flaw ... run-stopping ... merits real and new answers. Advertisement The Cowboys drafted defensive tackle Mazi Smith with their first-round pick back in 2022. The former Michigan star began to show signs of growth last season, but Dallas needs more. ... and inserting Toia in the mix will - if this works out - give the Cowboys an intriguing pair of 1-technique defensive tackles. According to Pro Football Focus, Toia had his best collegiate season in 2024—posting a 69 overall grade. The trust Toia has earned from the coaching staff early in their offseason program is a positive sign. If he continues to impress, that trust could lead to reps on the field during the regular season. A scouting view? Toia's ability to battle double-team blocks with a wide base will in theory help keep linebackers Kenneth Murray Jr., Jack Sanborn, and Marist Liufau free to play downhill and defend the run. Advertisement The development of Toia and his integration into defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus' scheme will be an interesting storyline to follow throughout training camp as Toia could be an underrated contributor for the Cowboys defense. Related: Dallas' Schottenheimer Reveals Inspiration Behind 'Visor Vision' Related: Cowboys Stud Tyler Smith Poised to Break NFL Record This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Jay Toia fits Cowboys vision for violent DT rotation
Jay Toia fits Cowboys vision for violent DT rotation originally appeared on Athlon Sports. If his arms were two inches longer, he's a Day 2 pick. If the league valued the 1-tech the way it did before the pass-happy era, he's not on the board in the seventh. Advertisement But things happen. And the Dallas Cowboys may have found something worth exploring here. Jay Toia is already taking some turns running with the 1's in OTA's, as noted as we watched practice inside The Star on Thursday. Does that mean Toia is already more pro-ready than Mazi Smith? Or is this just more "Schotty-psychology" at work? A subtle way to light a fire under Mazi and get him "playing mad''? We don't know all of the answers here yet. But here's what we know for certain, Toia was PFF's highest graded run stopper in the class. Toia is incredibly difficult to move. And Toia comes from an entire family of NFL war-daddies. Advertisement Let's break this down. Cowboys D-line coach Aaron Whitecotton has been consistent since the day he got here: he prioritizes violence, penetration, rotation, and relentless energy. He wants fresh legs, interchangeable pieces, and an interior that attacks rather than absorbs. That's the lens you need when looking at Jay Toia. The 6-3, 335-pound rookie was a seventh-rounder in April, but don't let that shape your ceiling for him. The only reason he slid that far? Positional value. Nose tackles and true 1-techs aren't getting top dollar or draft love in a league obsessed with splashy pass-rushers. But maybe that's changing — fast (stay tuned on that front). Advertisement Now look at Dallas. The front office wasn't aggressive at defensive tackle in free agency, and they waited until Round 7 to address it in the draft. That might say more about their belief in Mazi than fans want to admit. Or maybe it's new coach Brian Schottenheimer doing what he's done all offseason — turning every roster move into a spark for competition. You need at least four defensive tackles to survive an NFL season. Some teams carry five. In years past, Dallas relied on aging journeymen like Jonathan Hankins and Linval Joseph to plug that hole. But now? Toia, Mazi, and second year man Justin Rogers give them potentially three 330+ pound bodies to throw into the fire. The problem is, most rookie DTs don't contribute early and Justin Rogers might as well be considered a rookie, too. It's the second-hardest transition in football behind quarterback. But Toia might be an exception because of the aforementioned bloodline of NFL trench warriors. You can feel it in how he plays. He walks, talks, and breathes interior football. But if that's not the case, which even despite early OTA reports shouldn't come as a surprise, then who can the Cowboys call on as the "mentor" in the room to help continue to cultivate the growth of the room. Advertisement You wouldn't be wrong to default to either Osa Odighizuwa or Solomon Thomas as the answer to that question. Those two guys are well-thought of in the Cowboys organization and also league-wide, but they're both more of your penetrating-pass-rush type 3-techs and much less so true run stoppers. So maybe this is where we glance back at something we discussed just a couple short weeks ago. Maybe the time is coming when the league starts valuing a guy like this. But for now? If Jay Toia can play? He'll be plenty valuable to a Dallas team that needs major improvement in plugging the run. Related: Cowboys Need 1 More Major Roster Move And Stats Reveal Why Related: Cowboys Lack Of Urgency Creates Huge Pressure on Mazi Smith This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Could this Cowboys 7th-round rookie supplant recent 1st rounder?
The Dallas Cowboys didn't stick to the proverbial script when it came to their 2025 draft class. The team had clear needs entering the weekend, but instead of trying to find the best available player at those key positions, Dallas simply took the best available player, needs be ignored. The team didn't take a wide receiver at all, waited until the fifth round to select a running back and the seventh round to select a nose tackle. That NT was UCLA's Jay Toia, an interesting pick to say the least. The Cowboys desperately need a man in the middle to line up next to their newly re-signed star three-technique Osa Odighizuwa; someone capable of commanding a double team and still producing. The question is whether or not Toia will be that guy, at all, much less in his rookie season. Dallas didn't throw any darts at the wall in free agency, and continued their trend of not throwing resources out the spot over the last decade outside of 2023 first-round pick Mazi Smith. Toia will have a great chance to earn snaps as a rookie. Rundown Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive lineman Jay Toia (93) during the second quarter against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images Position: Defensive Tackle Advertisement Age: 26 Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 342 pounds Hometown: Inglewood, CA High School: Grace Brethren (Simi Valley, CA) College: UCLA (Highlight Video) Draft: 2025, Sixth-round pick No. 217 Acquired: 2025 Draft Contract: Four-year deal (2025), $4.35 million includes signing bonus of $153K 2025 Base Salary: $840,000 | Cap Hit $878k Profile Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive lineman Jay Toia (93) against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images Toia is the annual flyer on a Day 3 nose tackle the Cowboys have become accustomed to. The hope, every year, is that they discover the next Jay Ratliff. Can Toia be that guy? He certainly has some enticing traits as he does have atypical movement for someone over 340 pounds. For evidence of whether or not he's doing his job well, look at how impressive the Bruins' linebacker corps looks. They were often clean, and Toia seems to be a heavy contributing factor there. Advertisement Dallas hasn't declared whether or not they'll retain Mazi Smith as their starting one-technique or try to use him in the role of backup three-technique. That will likely be the deciding factor in just how many snaps Toia could see this season, if he's able to latch onto the roster. Aside from those two, the cupboard is rather thin at NT with Justin Rogers and Denzel Daxon both being longshots of making the roster. By the time training camp ends, the Cowboys could perceivably have brought in a couple veterans to man the fort, but Toia will likely be in the team's plans in some capacity. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans! This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Dallas Cowboys player profile: No. 93 Jay Toia
USA Today
26-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rugby player-turned DT joins Cowboys draft class, experts high on potential
Rugby player-turned DT joins Cowboys draft class, experts high on potential Mazi Smith was a first-round draft pick just two years ago. Osa Odighizuwa signed a huge contract extension this offseason to remain in Dallas, and then the team signed veteran Solomon Thomas just a week later. But the Cowboys have decided they're not quite set at defensive tackle. With the 217th pick in the 2025 NFL draft, the Cowboys selected Jay Toia from UCLA. This pick came to Dallas as part of the Joe Milton trade package. At 340-plus pounds, Toia is a massive human, roughly the same size as second-season man Justin Rogers, who was a seventh-round draft pick himself out of Auburn last year. But he's said to be surprisingly nimble, perhaps a byproduct of a background as a rugby player. Put it all together, and with a little more coaching, he could be just what the Cowboys need as a run-stopping D-tackle. Here's how a few of the big national outlets evaluated Toia in the weeks and months leading up to the draft. Dane Brugler, The Athletic Link A three-year starter at UCLA, Toia was the zero-/one-technique in defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe's 3-3-5 base scheme. His production on paper doesn't jump out, but the tape shows a player willing to chew up blocks in the middle, freeing linebackers and ends to make plays. When he plays with consistent leverage, Toia is able to put down roots and shut down inside run lanes. However, he must continue to develop his instincts to create tackle opportunities, instead of just taking up room. Overall, Toia might not have the length or awareness to be a full-time two-gapper in the NFL, but he has a powerful base and physical hands to neutralize the point of attack. He projects as a scheme-versatile nose tackle. Lance Zierlein, Link Three-year starter with the build and mentality to play nose tackle in odd or even fronts. Toia carries a girthy base and is heavy into first contact. He has the power to give good resistance against all forms of blocks that come his way but a lack of length makes him more of a space eater than a block beater. He pummels single-block protection with violent club moves for sporadic pressures but is unlikely to get home. He'll need to improve his block recognition and fine-tune his take-on to be his best version of a two-down run defender. Kyle Crabbs, The 33rd Team Link UCLA Bruins defensive tackle Jay Toia is a dense nose guard who has a role waiting for him at the NFL level. He lacks the explosive reach and knockback power to serve as the deluxe version of this type of defender — that's more so what should be expected from a Tyleik Williams. If you're looking for a low-to-the-ground, thick defender who is difficult to uproot and move, Toia can be your guy. He's surprisingly nimble for his size but lacks the tackle radius and short-area explosive change of direction to finish plays with consistency in the backfield. Lennox Tate, NFL Draft Buzz Link The film shows a player with clear strengths and limitations that will shape his NFL trajectory. Toia brings immediate value as a run defender, using his natural leverage and impressive lower body strength to absorb double teams and occasionally reset the line of scrimmage. However, his limited lateral range and inconsistent block recognition will restrict his deployment primarily to early downs where his strengths can be maximized and weaknesses pass rush contributions remain a work in progress. While he showed improvement as a senior by increasing his pressure numbers, Toia lacks the refined hand technique and counter moves necessary to consistently affect quarterbacks at the next level. His burst allows him to occasionally collapse the pocket through sheer power, but he'll need significant technical development to become anything more than an occasional push-rusher who forces quarterbacks to reset their ceiling will be determined by how quickly he can develop the instincts and awareness that his limited football background hasn't yet provided. Coming late to the sport has given him raw tools but left gaps in his game recognition. His physical traits suggest rotational potential immediately, but inconsistent tackle efficiency and limited range will prevent three-down usage early in his career. The team that drafts him will be betting on development rather than day-one impact, understanding that patience may be required to unlock his complete skill set in a defensive front. CBS Sports Link Jay Toia is an interior defender with a thicker lower-body build that allows him to fill two gaps. He has the strength, but not necessarily the quickness to stack and shed blockers and penetrate. Toia has a high floor in run defense but will offer little to nothing in pass-rush production. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
