26-04-2025
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
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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,
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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