FRISCO, Texas — Having only 12 first-round grades on the incoming class of prospects that made their way into the 2025 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys grabbed one of those players, namely former Alabama guard Tyler Booker, who will be looked upon as an immediate successor to the now-retired legend Zack Martin.
Their celebration for acquiring Booker is short-lived, however, because there is still much work to be done over the course of their remaining nine picks; and they've now turned in the card to secure the prospect they favored most with the 44th-overall pick in the draft.
And that player is...
Round 2: Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
Things to know:
- Consensus All-American (2024)
- ACC Defensive Player of the Year (2024)
- First-team All-ACC (2024)
- Second-team All-ACC (2023)
- Ted Hendricks Award winner (2024)
Scouting Report + Fit:
As bendy as Mr. Fantastic but as explosive as Johnny Blaze, Ezeiruaku is one of the more intriguing edge rushers in this year's class and reminds you, at times, of what the Cowboys enjoyed whenever they saw flashes of peak Randy Gregory and, dare I say it, David Irving.
I'll begin this by pointing out Ezeiruaku racked up 16.5 sacks in 2024.
You read that correctly: 16.5 sacks (and a hell of a lot more pressures and disruptions).
Oh, and how's about eight forced fumbles as well? Seems good, as does the fact he was the second-highest rated EDGE defender in both Next Gen Stats overall draft score (83) and production score (87) in the class.
The Boston College product is a native of none other than Philadelphia, growing up in New Jersey, so he knows all too well what it means to see everyone around him root against the Cowboys — now joining them and a defensive line that is in need of pass rushers and run stoppers at the edge due to the loss of DeMarcus Lawrence in free agency and the pending return of Sam Williams from a torn ACL, the latter needing some grace as he returns from such a devastating injury.
His length can be a ready-made problem for opposing offensive tackles, combined with his aforementioned bend and quick twitch, and there is rarely a tight end that stands a chance against his cross chop and slap; and he's very sure of his footwork and rarely wastes motion in his get-off or in setting up his counter moves.
A four-year senior and two-year captain, he's also a green flag for leadership on a young defensive line that will look for an injection of exactly that, along with production, and as for the run defense, count him in as more than solid in that arena as well.
To truly ascend to the next level, he'll likely need to add some muscle mass and increase his power overall, but that's what weight training is for, and the Cowboys see a high ceiling with Ezeiruaku in Dallas.
