Edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku showed flashes of strong play as a rookie last season. However, the sacks for the second-round pick were hard to come by.
Ezeiruaku will aim to change that in a big way during the 2026 season. The defensive end made that clear while speaking to The Dallas Morning News’ Joseph Hoyt.
“They don’t draft edge rushers to not get any sacks,” said Ezeiruaku.
“Especially for me the way I take pride in what I do and what I want to do to help this football team.”
Ezeiruaku posted his first NFL sack in Week 7 versus the Washington Commanders. Two weeks later, he had a sack in his first career start.
But those were Ezeiruaku’s only two sacks of his rookie season. He also had 40 combined tackles, including nine tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hits with one forced fumble.
Ezeiruaku sees himself producing much more in 2026.
“I feel very explosive,” added Ezeiruaku.
Donovan Ezeiruaku Needs More Sacks in 2nd NFL Season
GettyDallas Cowboys edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku has his eye on more sacks this season.
Ezeiruaku found himself in the opposing team’s backfield and impacting the quarterback on a regular basis as a rookie. But to be the elite edge rusher that he and the Cowboys want, Ezeiruaku will have to take down the quarterback more often.
At Boston College, he did plenty of that in his senior season. In 2024, he had 16.5 sacks with 20.5 tackles for loss, which led the ACC. Ezeiruaku also had 8.5 sacks during 2022.
It’s now about him translating that college success to the professional level.
In his NFL Draft profile, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein projected Ezeiruaku to be a first-round pick. But Zierlein also predicted the edge rusher to “become good starter within two years.”
Ezeiruaku started the final nine games of his rookie campaign. He would continue to be right on track with Zierlein’s projection if he makes a significant leap in 2026.
Cowboys Defensive Improvements for 2026
GettyThe Dallas Cowboys hope to have a much better defense in 2026.
The Cowboys struggled on defense during the 2025 season. They were 30th in yards allowed and last in points yielded. The team was also last in passing yards allowed along with net passing yards yielded per attempt.
A big reason why was the lack of sacks. The Cowboys had 35 sacks in 17 regular season games. Only six teams had fewer.
Ezeiruaku taking a big step would be the best way for the Cowboys to improve their pass rush. But Dallas made quite a few additions that could help the defense in that area.
Dallas acquired fellow edge rusher Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers. Gary had 7.5 sacks in both 2024 and 2025.
The Cowboys also signed Otito Ogbonnia in NFL free agency. The 25-year-old could start in Dallas this fall.
Finally, the Cowboys also selected three defensive linemen in the 2026 NFL Draft. One of which was Malachi Lawrence at No. 23 overall in the first round.
The Cowboys addressed issues at linebacker and safety in free agency and through trades as well. Those moves should help Dallas have a better defense overall.
But Ezeiruaku’s potential improvement and the additions along the edge could make the biggest difference.
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