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FRISCO, Texas -- It's the time of the offseason when the rubber begins meeting the road for the Dallas Cowboys. The biggest waves of free agency and the drama of the 2026 NFL Draft are now both in the rear view mirror, and the page now turns to OTAs, minicamp and the heated position battles awaiting players in training camp.
But before they turn the page to begin OTAs in early June, let's take a moment to dive into several key players on the current roster who either have plenty to prove, or have already proven plenty and are seeking the validation of a Super Bowl trophy.
Introducing the brand-new series "3 Points", and it continues with outside linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku.
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In his rookie season, Ezeiruaku finished in the top five of rookie EDGEs in multiple categories. Ezeiruaku was third in run stops (29), tied for fourth in QB pressures (28) and fourth in tackles (40). He did so starting in nine games for the Cowboys and playing in all 17. Currently, Ezeiruaku is recovering from labrum surgery and is expected to be ready for training camp looking to improve his numbers in his second season.
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After wearing the number 41 on his jersey his rookie year, Ezeiruaku has changed his number and is currently set to wear #6 in 2026. It's the same number he wore during his collegiate career at Boston College, where he finished his career as a consensus All-American in 2024 and finished second in FBS in sacks that season with 16.5 to go along with 20.5 tackles for loss, good for fourth in FBS.
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With 569 snaps for the Cowboys last year, Ezeriuaku leads all returning EDGE plays in snaps on Dallas' roster going into 2026. Across the entire defense, Ezeiruaku played the third-most snaps of players that are returning for the upcoming season, trailing only DaRon Bland (701 snaps) and Kenny Clark (627). The Cowboys' EDGE/OLB room is set to look different in year one under Christian Parker with the additions of Rashan Gary and first-round pick Malachi Lawrence.
