One of the ongoing questions that surrounded the Dallas Cowboys during the down time between rookie minicamp in early May and the on-field offseason workout program in early June was whether the team still had too many glaring weaknesses and spots where it lacked depth on the defensive side of the ball. The Cowboys are not especially deep at cornerback and are particularly thin at middle linebacker. But edge rusher was, arguably, the biggest concern, because the Cowboys struggled to take down the quarterback last season, with second-round edge Donovan Ezeiruaku logging just 2.0 sacks.
In fact, the Cowboys did not have much by way of quarterback catchers until they brought on Jadeveon Clowney in Week 4, and Clowney wound up leading the team with 8.5 sacks in 13 games.
Dallas did make a trade for Rashan Gary, and drafted Malachi Lawrence. But if there is a player who can singlehandedly turn around the sack fortunes, it would Ezeiruaku doing more to deliver on the promise he showed when the Cowboys drafted him last April.
Donovan Ezeiruaku a ‘Sophomore Breakout’ Player?
With that in mind, Sports Illustrated’s Justin Melo has a hopeful prediction for the Cowboys–that Ezeiruaku will be on the of the “Sophomore Breakouts” of the upcoming season. The Cowboys would welcome that.
Write Melo: “The Dallas Cowboys spent the 2025 season trying to replace Micah Parsons. The pass rush suffered without its star, recording just 35 sacks. Rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku was a mild contributor, notching just two sacks. … Ezeiruaku flashed encouraging signs on tape, occasionally displaying the athleticism that made him such a pass-rushing threat at Boston College. A full offseason in the Cowboys’ strength and conditioning program should benefit him greatly. Ezeiruaku possesses all the traits required to enjoy a breakout season.”
Cowboys ‘Being Smart’ With Donovan Ezeiruaku Hip Injury
Not mentioned by Melo is a hip injury that likely slowed Ezeiruaku doing the 2025 season, an injury that Ezeiruaku tried to play through. But he had hip labrum surgery in the offseason, and that has kept him on the sidelines throughout OTAs and minicamp. The Cowboys have said, though, that Ezeiruaku will be on track to return in time for training camp.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said early on in OTAs that the team was being “careful” with Ezeiruaku, as well as cornerback DaRon Bland (foot surgery).
“We’ve got a few guys that we’re going to be smart with,” Schottenheimer said. “Donovan Ezeiruaku and DaRon Bland, guys like that, you’ll see them throughout the next couple weeks advance into more individual drills and stuff like that, but a few of those guys are gonna be really smart with.”
Cowboys Relying on Hope on Defense
One of the issues with Ezeiruaku and the edge rushers, though, is that the Cowboys are counting on hope and things falling the right way, rather than on known commodities. The hope is that Ezeiruaku can be a breakout player. The hope is that Gary can get back into form after failing to record a sack in the last nine weeks of last season. The hope is that Lawrence can quickly make the adjustment to the NFL and that Marist Liufau can adjust from linebacker to playing the edge.
That’s a lot of hope. And it’s the same at linebacker and cornerback. The Cowboys are getting credit for an improved defense, and maybe that will be the case–but there is a lot of hoping, still, including with Ezeiruaku.
Cowboys’ Disappointing 2nd-Year Edge Tabbed for ‘Sophomore Breakout’