The Dallas Cowboys have their second-round pick, and it’s Boston College EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Initially projected to go in the first-round, Ezeiruaku, an All-American in 2024, is one of the most athletic pass rushers in the entire draft class.
The 44th pick has been the most debated Cowboys selection out of them all. With needs at wide receiver, cornerback, and running back, many fans expected a skill position here, but that does not make this a bad pick.
Ezeiruaku is not a project prospect. He could be an immediate impact pass rusher for a Dallas defensive line going through major changes.
Donovan Ezeiruaku was the Ted Hendricks Award winner (best DE in country) and ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) April 26, 2025
This dude had a staggering 16.5 sacks in 2024 and 20.5 tackles for loss.
He is hyper-productive, and I think Dallas sees him as the true heir-apparent to DeMarcus Lawrence. This will be Micah Parsons’ running mate for the next five years.
Some may want to bring Ezeiruaku to start out behind guys like Dante Fowler Jr., Payton Turner, Sam Williams, and last year’s second-round pick, Marshawn Kneeland, but his potential far exceeds all of those guys.
Kneeland’s presence, however, is my main problem with this selection.
After drafting him in this same round in 2024, the Cowboys have now used their most impactful picks on the offensive line and at EDGE rusher in two straight drafts.
They have very little draft capital because of the Jonathan Mingo trade, and you are now punting on, at the least, one of wide receiver, cornerback, or running back. That is a problem, and it might haunt Dallas this season.
Dallas Cowboys’ biggest needs:
— Cornerback
— Running back
— Linebacker
— Wide receiver
— Defensive end— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) March 11, 2025
Defensive tackle is another need for Dallas, which is now definitely getting ignored going into the 2025 season.
This team is going to have a lot of holes, and Donovan Ezeiruaku doesn’t exactly fill them, but again, that doesn’t make this a bad pick.
Purely from a value standpoint, this is a home run.
However, they had big-swing potential prospects at spots where they needed more. That will be the storyline with this pick at the end of the day.