FRISCO, Texas — It was a foregone conclusion the Dallas Cowboys would presumably use at least one of the many picks in the 2025 NFL Draft on the defensive tackle position, flipping the seventh-round pick they received from the New England Patriots (211th-overall) to throw a very big body in the mix along with Mazi Smith, Solomon Thomas and Osa Odighizuwa.
They traveled to the state of California to find one that fit what they're looking to do, again (more on that in a moment), and that is none other than...
Round 7: Jay Toia, DT, UCLA
Things to know:
- Transfer from USC
- Four-star recruit
- Former rugby player
Scouting Report + Fit:
You read that correctly: Toia is a former rugby player, and that means he's not lacking in willful brutality.
The Inglewood native who spent much of his childhood in the Virgin Islands returned to the U.S. in 2017 and it didn't take long for his family to encourage him to try football — given his ability in rugby and the fact he was one of the bigger humans walking around. Currently standing 6-foot-2 and cracking the pavement beneath him at 341 lbs., the former four-star recruit initially began his collegiate career with the USC Trojans before transferring to UCLA, where he went on to play in 50 games, producing 91 combined tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, four pass deflections and a forced fumble over the course of his four-year stay.
So allow me to state the obvious, given his weight: Toia is wide, to the point he probably requires a pilot car when he's driving down the highway.
His mass is a load to move or to get around if you're an offensive lineman or running back, respectively, as he devours space, eats double teams like their Rolos and, despite his size, can shed blocks and get into the backfield at times. His vision is above average, seeing the play unfold and reacting versus simply "being in the way", routinely anticipating the running back's moves and reacting.
That reaction also extends to his ability to read the quarterback's eyes, leading to passing lane disruptions when he gets one of his bear claws in the air to halt passes over the middle.
He needs to be more complete in finishing his tackles, and would love to see a more potent bull rush for his size, but I'll task defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton with helping him unlock those coachable attributes. That said, Toia joins a defensive interior to compete with last year's seventh-round pick, Justin Rogers, behind Mazi Smith; and that should make for an interesting battle this summer.
The last UCLA defensive tackle drafted by the Cowboys was none other than Odighizuwa, and that worked out well, I'd say.
And now, the two are teammates.
