There are more questions than answers when it comes to talented Dallas Cowboys edge rusher and 2025 2nd-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Ezeiruaku has just 2.0 sacks as a rookie, but was as effective as anyone else trying to get to the quarterback the Cowboys had in a miserable defensive year.
Now, with a new defensive coordinator in Christian Parker and a new group of edge rushers around him, Ezeiruaku was singled out by Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon as the most important 2nd-year player on the roster in 2026.
“First-rounder Tyler Booker is on the ideal track following a strong rookie season at right guard, but Ezeiruaku had just two sacks despite taking more than 600 snaps as a rookie second-round selection,” Gagnon wrote. “He did, however, post a top-five pass-rushing grade among qualified rookies at Pro Football Focus, and he could benefit from more talent elsewhere on the edge in Christian Parker’s intriguing new defense. That’s assuming he doesn’t get lost in the shuffle with Rashan Gary and Malachi Lawrence joining the fray.”
Ezeiruaku Placed on ‘All-Breakout Team’ for 2026
Pro Football Focus NFL reporter Bradley Locker put Ezeiruaku on his NFL All-Breakout Team for 2026 — a group that could have the league’s “next great player” among them.
“There were several second-year edge defenders pushing for this slot, but Ezeiruaku presents the best combination of a promising first season as well as upside,” Locker wrote on May 13. “Despite sliding to the second round, Ezeiruaku turned in a solid rookie campaign with a 66.8 PFF pass-rush grade, the second-best among qualified newcomers at the position. What’s also appealing about Ezeiruaku is how good he looked against the run, sitting in the 85th percentile in run stop rate (8.1%) and the 73rd percentile in PFF run-defense grade (62.8).”
Cowboys Made Big Offseason Moves at Edge Rusher
The Cowboys tried to reboot at edge rusher by trading for Gary, a former 1st round pick, and taking Lawrence in the 1st round (No. 23 overall).
“With Micah Parsons traded away, Donovan Ezeiruaku got to play a ton of snaps as a rookie, mustering only (3) sacks but nine tackles for loss,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote. “With Rashan Gary on board, the Dallas Cowboys have upgraded their overall pass rush from 2025, and Ezeiruaku will benefit from that — he nearly tripled his sack totals from his freshman to sophomore year at Boston College. A young, new defensive coordinator in Christian Parker will improve what was the worst scoring defense in the NFL, and Ezeiruaku could be a central part of that.”
Off-Field Issues, Injury Could Derail Ezeiruaku
Ezeiruaku is playing on what’s a pretty lucrative contract for a 2nd-round pick with a 4-year, $10.15 million deal.
Ezeiruaku’s production dropped drastically over the last 2 months of the season, which we now know was because of a hip injury that would eventually require surgery. To Ezeiruaku’s credit, he played in all 17 games with 9 starts, 40 tackles, 12 QB hits, and 1 safety.
The offseason surgery kept Ezeiruaku from being a full participant in the offseason program — it’s also not his only issue away from the field. He was arrested for reckless driving in Texas on January 11, according to Collin County arrest records.
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