Donovan Ezeiruaku has a chance to make an immediate impact as a rookie.
Many wanted the Dallas Cowboys to focus on getting weapons on the offensive side of the ball early in the NFL Draft. However, the team stuck to their draft board looking for the best players, and in doing so drafted defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku in the second round.
When DeMarcus Lawrence headed out the door, the Cowboys had an opening for another player who can consistently pressure the quarterback. Ezeiruaku is the second consecutive edge rusher that Dallas has taken in the second round after taking Marshawn Kneeland in 2024.
Despite being a rookie, Ezeiruaku is expected to have a significant role coming out the gate for the Cowboys, and he’s willing to do anything to get their defense back to the level needed to contend.
I’m coming here to work and do whatever the coaches ask me to do. 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.
Ezeiruaku can do quite a bit on the football field. Per Pro Football Focus, Ezeiruaku logged 1,969 snaps on the defensive line in college. What makes Ezeiruaku unique is that he can rush the passer from either side and do so effectively. Plus, as he mentioned, he’ll rush the passer in the middle as well, which, when successful, is a quarterback’s worst nightmare.
The skill set of Ezeiruaku works perfectly with a guy like All-Pro Micah Parsons. He’s a Swiss army knife that can be moved around, much like Parsons. On key passing downs, defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has many ways to attack. Dallas could even kick a guy like Kneeland inside like they used to do with Lawrence occasionally and let Parsons and Ezeiruaku come off the edges.
Ezeiruaku is more of a stand-up type of edge. In certain passing situations, the Cowboys could even let Parsons put his hand in the dirt and let Ezeiruaku stand up and rush off the same side while guys like Dante Fowler Jr. or Sam Williams come off the other edge. This is what a player with such versatility like Ezeiruaku allows a defensive coordinator to do.
For an edge, Ezeiruaku is undersized at 6’2 and 245 pounds. He’ll need to pack on some pounds and get stronger to improve his ability to stop the run, although he’s not necessarily bad at it. Once he does that and mirrors it with his pass rush skills, Ezeiruaku is going to be a special player.
