Cowboys rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku having dominant start to career – Tyler Reed, Sports Illustrated
Donovan Ezeiruaku is showing that he could be one of the steals of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Dallas Cowboys’ defense has been the talk of the season for obvious reasons. Time and time again, they have proven to be one of the worst units in the league.
However, not everything has been bad within the unit. If you watched the team’s primetime matchup with the Arizona Cardinals this past week, you may have noticed one defensive unit was playing their tails off.
That unit was the defensive line. It truly felt like the Cowboys’ pass rush was in the backfield on every snap.
One of the biggest reasons behind the strong play from the pass rush has been the play of rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku.
In the loss to the Cardinals on Monday night, Ezeiruaku picked up his third sack of the season. The rookie was also in the backfield all game long.
It’s been a strong start for the former Boston College star, and his numbers back it up. Per CowboysMuse, Ezeiruaku is tied for first in sacks, second in tackles for loss, and first in forced fumbles among all rookies in the league.
Dak Prescott, Cowboys teammates mourn loss of Marshawn Kneeland – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
Rest in peace Marshawn Kneeland.
FRISCO, Texas – The entire Dallas Cowboys organization and the NFL football community continue to mourn the tragic loss of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland.
Throughout the course of the day of his passing, Kneeland’s teammates showed outpourings of support and messages on social media to Kneeland and his family, as well as the importance of checking in on mental health with yourself and your loved ones.
“It’s been a very tough day,” QB Dak Prescott told CBS11 during a field dedication ceremony for him at his alma mater, Haughton High School. “It started early this morning, finding out the news. Tragic loss. I hurt. Heavy, heavy heart today. I hurt for Marshawn, I hurt for his family, I hurt for his girlfriend, I hurt for every single one of my teammates.”
“This is a pain that you don’t wish upon anybody. You wish none of us had to go through this. You wish Marshawn didn’t have to go through what he went through. Just thankful for each moment we have in this life, and don’t take it for granted, hug and love on those that you do.”
Prescott, who is an NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner for his efforts to help colon cancer research and mental health initiatives among other things, has been a large voice in the mental health community through his Faith, Fight, Finish foundation. Often writing “Ask 4 Help” on his wrist tape during games, Prescott echoed the message that it’s okay not to be okay.
“It’s okay to feel however you’re feeling,” Prescott said. “I’ll tell you first and foremost, I don’t always have all the answers. And today is not a day that I felt like I had answers. Triggering day for many reasons. On top of just knowing that [Prescott’s field dedication ceremony] was ahead today, and hard to balance my emotions today, and not a day that I have words other than I love you for friends and families and people who may be struggling.”
After the news of Kneeland’s passing game out, Prescott said the Cowboys had a team video call.
“That I love them…” Prescott said of his message to his teammates. “Few people that spoke did an amazing job, but as I said, it’s tell that person how I feel about them when I see them. Tough moment for this team. I feel and hurt for everybody that’s involved in this and Marshawn’s family and loved ones.”
Cowboys LB coach looking to Logan Wilson to bring this desperately-needed skill after bye – Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire
Dallas wants new linebacker Logan Wilson to tap into his ability to get turnovers.
The Cowboys have high hopes that the bye week will breathe new life into a defense that’s struggled over the first two months of the 2025 season.
The anticipated return of linebacker DeMarvion Overshown will be huge, and the immediate impact of newly-acquired defensive tackle Quinnen Williams cannot be understated.
But the Cowboys coaching staff also traded for veteran linebacker Logan Wilson at the deadline, and they’re looking for him to return to the form he displayed early in his career, especially when it comes to one key skill that has been lacking in Dallas.
“Obviously, he takes the ball away,” Cowboys linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi said of the former third-round draft pick earlier in the week. “I think he’s got the most interceptions for a linebacker in the last few years. He’s really good at that. He’s good at getting to the ball.”
Over his first four seasons, Wilson tallied 12 picks, including one in the postseason. And while he hasn’t had one since the Bengals’ 2023 finale, that figure more than doubles the combined career totals of every other linebacker on the Cowboys’ current roster.
The last interception by a Dallas linebacker? Eric Kendricks in Week 15 last season. It was one of two Kendricks nabbed on the year. Overshown got one, too, on a fluke ball that he batted up in the air and managed to catch.
Wilson, however, seems to have a longstanding knack that comes from more than luck.
“Logan did that in college,” Borgonzi said. “I think he had 10 takeaways when he was at Wyoming, so he’s been a guy that’s really done that his whole career.”
But that’s just interceptions. Wilson also had four forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries in college. And for a Cowboys unit that has a grand total of seven takeaways on the season (only four teams have fewer), whether in the air or on the ground, they’ll take them any way they can get them.
10 burning questions after the Qunnien Williams trade – LP Cruz, Blogging The Boys
Analyzing what’s next for the Cowboys now that Quinnen Williams is on the roster.
4. Who else was Dallas looking for?
It’s the deals that don’t get done that make you think. While Dallas picked up Logan Wilson and Williams, who else were the Cowboys looking to acquire? Rumors had the Cowboys were linked to Tennessee Titans defender Jeffrey Simmons, who stayed in Tennessee despite the Titans going nowhere this year and being in need of a complete rebuild. Minkah Fitzpatrick would have been nice to add to the Cowboys, who need help in their secondary and would have completed the three-level ensemble of linebacker, defensive tackle, and safety, but nothing formulated for Dallas. Jermaine Johnson was another player connected to Dallas, but the Jets didn’t move him, and the Cowboys opted to stand pat at edge rusher during the trade deadline.
5. Does this put the Cowboys back in the playoff chase?
Sitting at 3-5-1, the Cowboys’ chances at making the playoffs are severely in question. Dallas has a conference record of 2-4-1 and is currently out of the playoff picture. Meanwhile, three teams in the NFC West have six wins or more, including the San Francisco 49ers, whose six wins have come against the NFC. The mathematical edge isn’t in Dallas’ favor to make the postseason, even as a wild card for the moment.
Their best chance would be somehow catching the NFC East leading Philadelphia Eagles, who are 2.5 games ahead of Dallas. The Cowboys would have to beat the Eagles, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants to finish with a 5-1 record in the division, hope the Eagles stumble, and navigate a remaining schedule against the Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and Detroit Lions.
6. Are the Cowboys done adding pieces to the defense ?
Although the trade deadline has passed, it doesn’t mean the Cowboys are done adding more to the roster. If they wanted, they could get more help for the defense still, the team has roughly $20M available in cap space per Overthecap.com. Assume the Cowboys wanted to do more for the defense, here are three players Dallas could target in mid-season free agency:
Stephon Gilmore
Stephon Gilmore has expressed that he would like to continue playing and is at home waiting for a call. Gilmore was with the Minnesota Vikings last year and started all 17 games for the Cowboys in 2023, intercepting two passes. He would be a nice fill-in with veteran leadership and not force Revel to take the field too soon.
Justin Simmons
If added, Simmons would give somebody who could play center field in the deep third of their defense and also provide run support. Hooker hasn’t been quite right this season, and so far, Dallas doesnt have enough of a sample to be sure of Juanyeh Thomas filling that role at an above average level. Simmons is only two years from removed from the 2023 season, where he earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors.
Demarcus Walker
Demarcus Walker is someone who has close ties to Matt Eberflus, having played for him for the last two seasons in Chicago. Walker has tallied seven sacks in the last two seasons and could be used in multiple spots. He can rush off the edge and play as an under tackle in sub packages. If Dallas has convinced itself that 2025 isn’t over yet, it could look to inquire about these players.
Welcome back Malik Davis.
The Dallas Cowboys have been reshaping the team’s roster throughout the Week 10 bye week, largely due to the NFL trade deadline and some major acquisitions to bolster the defensive side of the ball.
Dallas swung a deal to land Cincinnati Bengals team captain and star linebacker Logan Wilson for the discount price of a seventh-round pick, while making one of the biggest splash moves at the deadline by sending a 2026 second-round NFL draft pick and a 2027 first-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
Those moves are expected to play long-term dividends for the Cowboys, but they’ve also made some under-the-radar moves while playing roster gymnastics.
On Friday, the team announced it has reunited with running back Malik Davis, who was waived immediately following the trade deadline to make room for the team’s new defensive stars. Davis has been on the team’s practice squad since 2022, when he signed in Dallas as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Florida.
NFL insider Aaron Wilson was first to report the news.
Davis has appeared in three games for the Cowboys this season, and 18 throughout his career.
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