The Dallas Cowboys made what some might call a pretty significant investment in edge rusher and 2025 2nd round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku, who was awarded a 4-year, $10.15 million contract after being selected at No. 44 overall.
In return for that investment, Ezeiruaku has put the Cowboys on his own personal rollercoaster ride over the last 12 months — something Fox Sports believes will even out in 2026 after they put Ezeiruaku on a list of 2nd year players poised to make gigantic leaps in Year 2.
“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.”
Donovan Ezeiruaku in Midst of Rough Offseason
Ezeiruaku was one of the few bright spots on what turned out to be the NFL’s worst defense in 2025.
“Donovan Ezeiruaku is suddenly the league’s top rookie pass rusher,” Pro Football Focus reporter Ryan Smith wrote. “A couple of impressive weeks vault the Cowboys edge defender past Abdul Carter for the top PFF pass-rush grade among first-year players.”
“Donovan Ezeiruaku’s stat rankings among rookies: T-1st in Sacks (3), 2nd in TFLs (6), T-1st in FF’s (1),” Cowboys Muse wrote on its official X account on November 7. “And we got him in the 2nd round.”
Ezeiruaku’s production dropped off drastically over the last 2 months of the season, which we now know was the result 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.
“Donovan Ezeiruaku is five weeks removed from hip surgery that will prevent him from being a full participant in the offseason program, per source,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote on X on March 2. “The expectation is he will be ready for training camp.”
More Bad News With Reckless Driving Arrest
Ezeiruaku was arrested for reckless driving in Texas on January 11, according to Collin County arrest records.
From CBS News Dallas: “Dallas Cowboys defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku was arrested over the weekend, Collin County jail records show. Jail records show Ezeiruaku was arrested by the Department of Public Safety for reckless driving on Jan. 11. He was released the same day with a bond of $500 and other unlisted conditions.”
The Cowboys released a statement to CBS, simply saying they were aware of Ezeiruaku’s arrest.
As a senior at Boston College in 2024, Ezeiruaku was second in the nation with 16.5 sacks, 3rd in the nation with 20.5 TFL, and led his team with 3 forced fumbles to go with 80 tackles in just 12 games.
Projected as a 1st round pick, the 6-foot-2, 248-pound Ezeiruaku slipped to the 2nd round over concerns about his size.
“His hands exploit small advantages to turn them into big ones and he has a variety of ways to challenge protection, though he’s still learning to craft his plans,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. “Ezeiruaku’s play demeanor, skill and athletic talent are the underpinnings of a productive starter with three-down value.”
Cowboys Edge Rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku Receives Lofty 2nd Year Prediction