FRISCO, Texas — While the Cowboys weren't exactly quiet during free agency this spring, there is still plenty of work to do for this team that finished 7-9-1 in 2025.
Not only did they add some key players in free agency and via trades, but they also re-signed some of the core depth as well.
Still, there are other guys on this team that must take that next step in order for the Cowboys to be successful in 2026.
Today, we'll continue the Next Man Up series with outside linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku.
- Name: Donovan Ezeiruaku
- Position: Outside linebacker/EDGE
- Experience: 1 year
- Games Played/Starts: 17/9
- Years Left on Contract: 3
- How Acquired: 2025 second-round pick (44th-overall)
- Key Stat: 12 QB hits, 9 TFLs in nine starts as a rookie
The Past: The nation's leader in sacks the year prior for Boston College, where he also set a school record, Ezeiruaku entered the league with a ton of promise that continually threatened to show itself for the Cowboys over the first half of his rookie season. It always felt as if he was a hair away from delivering a multi-sack game or two, but it simply didn't work out that way. He'd go on to have a solid season, but it felt as if Matt Eberflus wanted to make him into the DeMarcus Lawrence (run stopper) mold and not the one perfected by DeMarcus Ware (QB terrorist), unfortunately.
The Present: Be not mistaken, there's plenty of good to be had from an edge rusher who can stop the run, but if it's at the expense of what Ezeiruaku does best, rush the passer, then tweaks must be made. That's exactly what Christian Parker plans to do — though it's more of an overhaul and not a simple tweak — making it clear Ezeiruaku is a perfect outside linebacker for his 3-4 system (ah, Ware things) for 2026 and beyond.
The Future: First and foremost, Ezeiruaku will need to continue his rehab from labrum surgery he underwent earlier this offseason that will cost him OTAs and minicamp, though he is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in late July. When he is medically cleared, he'll need to show he lived in the playbook to avoid any sort of catch-up being needed in Parker's defensive reconstruction. If he can do that, his physical abilities will do the rest, and his second year should see him deliver those multi-sack games that evaded him as a rookie.
