FRISCO, Texas — Jay Toia is a rookie seventh-round pick with a lot more potential and ability than his 2025 selection would imply. Adding to that is the fact he joins a Dallas Cowboys team desperate for more beef in the middle of their defensive line, specifically at nose tackle behind former first-round pick Mazi Smith.
They believe putting Toia under alongside Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas, and the tutelage of heralded defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton, will see the former UCLA standout become a wrecking ball in Dallas and, for his part, Toia feels the same way.
"I mean, I feel like just the standard of being a D lineman [is], you know, coming in and just destruction all over the line of scrimmage," he said from rookie minicamp.
It's that level of football violence that made him very problematic for opposing offenses as a Bruin, and his maturity and selflessness earned him the respect of his teammates and the label of captain — an added attribute that fits perfectly with the culture being established by head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
That culture must strike a balance between impact talent and locker room leaders though, something Toia proved himself as, in both regards, at UCLA; and his film study of current NFL gamewreckers at the position could very well also shorten his learning curve at the professional level.
"Vita Vea and Dexter Lawrence, for sure," he said. "I would say they're similar, but different. I feel like Vita just causes havoc throughout the whole game, but I feel like Dexter Lawrence has a little finesse in his game."
There are five combined Pro Bowls, two All-Pro nods and a Super Bowl ring between Vea and Lawrence so, needless to say, Toia borrowing all he can from their game can only help him hit the ground running in Dallas more quickly, and fuel one of his ultimate goals.
"I feel like success, for me, is longevity," said the rookie nose tackle. "I want to play in this league for a long time. I want to play for the Cowboys for a long time."
Training camp will serve as his first real dose of the Cowboys' version of the Hunger Games and, by all accounts, when it's all said-and-done, it's likely no one will be mocking Jay.
