The Dallas Cowboys have officially locked in their entire 2025 draft class just days before the start of training camp.
Second-round DE Donovan Ezeiruaku was the final domino to fall, signing his rookie contract and ending a weeks-long delay that had kept him off the books.
He now joins a promising class that includes 1st round OL Tyler Booker, 3rd round CB Shavon Revel, 5th rounders Jaydon Blue (RB) and Shemar James (LB), 6th round OL Ajani Cornelius, and three 7th rounders: defensive tackles Jay Toia and Tommy Akingbesote, and RB Phil Mafah.
With all nine rookies now signed and cleared to participate in camp, the Cowboys can shift full attention toward on-field development, and eventually, looming veteran contracts.
Houston, You Have a Problem
Ezeiruaku, the high-motor edge rusher from Boston College, finally reached an agreement with Dallas on his rookie deal: a moment fans had been waiting on for weeks.
The delay wasn’t due to anything Ezeiruaku or the Cowboys did wrong, but rather a league-wide ripple effect that stemmed from the Houston Texans.
Earlier this offseason, Houston made waves by handing out the first fully guaranteed 2nd-round contract in NFL history to WR Jayden Higgins.
That move, unprecedented in the current rookie wage scale era, caused agents of 2nd-round picks across the league (including Ezeiruaku’s) to push for similar guarantees.
Teams, naturally, pushed back.
The Cowboys held their ground but were willing to sweeten the deal with added guarantees and favorable structure without fully matching Houston’s benchmark.
The result: a fair compromise that gets Ezeiruaku into camp without compromising the team’s long-term contract strategy.
With his contract finalized, the second-rounder can now focus on cracking the defensive line rotation and making an early impact as a pass rusher; something Dallas sorely needs after losing key veteran depth up front.
The Importance of Rookie Presence
It might seem like a formality in 2025, but getting rookie contracts done before camp is still vitally important, especially for a team that’s counting on young contributors.
Players like Ezeiruaku, Revel, Booker, Blue, and James could all be asked to take real snaps this year.
Every missed day of practice would’ve delayed their adjustment to the pro game.
Camp is where roles are defined and chemistry is built. Having the entire draft class under contract ensures that the Cowboys’ coaching staff can evaluate each prospect on equal footing and begin fine-tuning the depth chart without off-field distractions.
The Next Big Domino
Now that the rookie class is fully signed, the focus turns to a much bigger contract situation: EDGE Micah Parsons.
The All-Pro edge rusher is next in line for a blockbuster extension, and there’s little debate he’ll reset the market when it happens.
Parsons, entering the final year of his rookie deal, is expected to command the highest average annual salary for any defensive player in NFL history.
The Cowboys have remained quiet on the timeline, reportedly prioritizing extensions for QB Dak Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb, but the urgency around locking up Parsons is growing by the day.
With rookie business handled, the Cowboys front office can finally zero in on keeping one of the league’s most dominant defenders in Dallas for the long haul.
