It stands to reason that the Cowboys will get some production from rookies this year.
Gennaro Filice for NFL.com recently projected who he believes will make the 2025 NFL All-Rookie team, and guess what, a pair of Dallas Cowboys players made his cut, one on offense and one on defense.
That’s right, a team that will be relying heavily on several of their young players, including this year’s 2025 draft class, may have drafted a couple of impacts starters. What’s more, both rookies play positions where they saw two of the longest tenured players move on this offseason.
Have you guessed which Cowboys rookies where alluding to? If you guessed Tyler Booker and Donovan Ezeiruaku you are right. Booker is expected to step in and replace future Hall of Famer Zack Martin, and Ezeiruaku is expected to compete for the starting job to replace DeMarcus Lawrence.
Here is what Gennaro Filice had to say about both Tyler Booker and Donovan Ezeiruaku.
OG Tyler Booker, Alabama
DRAFTED: Round 1, No. 12 overall
A lot of people think Dallas overdrafted Booker at No. 12 overall. I disagree with that sentiment. And I could take this opportunity to remind everyone of this Cowboys regime’s sparkling track record when it comes to selecting offensive linemen in Round 1, or I could just point you to the hardest quote of the draft cycle.
“Football is a child’s game,” Booker said on Bleacher Report’s draft reaction show. “So, people wake up being like, ‘Man, I can’t wait to play this football game today.’ They listen to their hype music, they take all the pre-workout, they get so excited to play football … until they come across Tyler Booker. And then when I’m going after you — quarter after quarter, play after play, series after series — and I start to see that love leave their eyes, that’s what makes me love the game.”
Micah Parsons was on the Bleacher Report set that night, and he let out a scream just listening to his new teammate go FULL METAL.
Being the first offensive guard off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft comes with high expectations. Those expectations may be a little higher considering who he’s replacing with the Cowboys. That is none other than the future Hall of Famer Martin, who decided to retire this offseason. Those are some big shoes to fill for Booker.
Booker possesses the right mindset and talent to be a dominant player at his position from the get-go. He’ll likely be a plug-and-play starter from Day 1 and someone the Cowboys will be relying heavily on as both the run blocker and especially in pass protection with QB Dak Prescott coming back from a season-ending hamstring injury.
It comes as no surprise Booker was projected to make the 2025 NFL All-Rookie team. The other Cowboys player who was projected to make the All-Rookie team may have a little more difficult path to success to make the cut.
EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
Drafted: Round 2, No. 44 overall
Like we just discussed with Abdul Carter, Ezeiruaku walks into an advantageous environment. Sharing the field with perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate Micah Parsons, the rookie is set to receive favorable matchups — and he has the pass-rushing arsenal to take advantage of them. With pterodactyl length and hair-on-fire spirit, Ezeiruaku explodes off the snap with a quick first step, often allowing him to get the edge and bend to the quarterback. If the pure speed rush doesn’t work, no worries: The dude knows how to use his hands, and he has a full bag of tricks that range from a spin to a Euro step to a pretty wicked ghost move. So, why did he last until midway through the second round? Well, he’s on the lighter side, naturally raising concerns about how he’ll set the edge against NFL blockers. But the Boston College product is poised to rack up the kind of sexy stats that garner recognition, having finished last season at second in the FBS in sacks (16.5) and third in tackles for loss (20.5).
Seeing Ezeiruaku getting projected to make the 2025 NFL All-Rookie team is a little more of a surprise than it was to see Booker make the list. Ezeiruaku was the sixth edge player drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft with Abdul Carter, Mykel Williams, Jalon Walker, Shemar Stewart, and James Pearce Jr. going off the board ahead of him. But, like we’ve all probably heard a million times before “it doesn’t matter where you get drafted”.
Unlike Booker though, Ezeiruaku isn’t projected to be a plug-and-play starter opposite Micah Parsons right now. He will first have to win the starting job and will have to beat out some stiff competition to do just that. If he does win the starting gig he is on his way to making this projection much more attainable.
All in all, the Cowboys organization, and all the fans around Cowboys Nation, would be absolutely thrilled if both Booker and Ezeiruaku end up making 2025 NFL All-Rookie team. If this comes to pass, that would mean the organization has a much better chance of getting back to playing winning football.
