OXNARD, Calif. — By now, you've likely heard the rumors about Donovan Ezeiruaku being one of the best players in training camp this summer, and that's made even more impressive by the fact the Dallas Cowboys have only had him in uniform for a total of three months, seeing as he's a rookie selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The second-round pick carries a unique skill set though, in that he's already masterful in his ability to be a technician off of the edge. He got his first taste of NFL competition on Tuesday, however, and it most certainly whet his appetite for more.
"It felt really good to see somebody in a different color uniform," Ezeiruaku said. "Obviously, we've got some things to work on, but I think we'll be making a strong push for sure."
He admits, and rightfully so, that he had butterflies going into Tuesday.
"Yeah, I think nerves are good," he said. "I had a little bit of nerves, but during the stretch lines, I was just like, 'You're just playing football. We are out here for another day of practice.' So I was pretty much good after that, and locked back in to do what I needed to do."
One thing he feels he needs to do is to level up his conditioning even more so over what helped make him the nation's leader in sacks in 2024, as a breakout star for Boston College.
Levels, if you will.
"We know it's a different speed, but your conditioning is one of the most important things to play at this level," said Ezeiruaku. "We obviously run here a good amount for the Dallas Cowboys. We run after the ball, but to go a little bit above that, we;ve just got to do more. Me, personally, I have to do more, so that's a big takeaway from me."
Up next for Ezeiruaku and every other Cowboys' rookie is a much bigger test on Saturday, when they line up, again, against the Los Angeles Rams but, this time, it'll be under the bright lights and megatron of SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
"I can't wait," the first-year pass rusher said with a huge grin. "I know it's a preseason game, but it's a game at the end of the day. This [scrimmage] was great, but you still have to pull up. You can't take them down. I think I would have gotten a sack a couple of times, but, you know, we've got a QB halo."
There's no halo on Saturday at SoFi Stadium, though.
"Yeah," the evil grin perfectly hinting at everything he's thinking. "And it'll be fun."
