Needles to say the Dallas Cowboys' selection of Tyler Booker with the No. 12 overall pick did not receive rave reviews. While a reach in terms of value, Dallas will have one of the best interior offensive lines in the NFL if Booker lives up to his first-round billing.
It was a solid pick all things considered, but the Cowboys smacked a home run in round two when they selected Boston College EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku. A number of experts had a first round grade on Ezeiruaku, so he is an absolute steal at No. 44 overall.
This roster wasn't crying out for another pass rusher. Teams that flaunt Micah Parsons rarely are. However, draft guru Will McClay and Co. did the smart thing and took the top-ranked player on their board.
It seems like a lot of teams wanted Ezeiruaku. The Packers would have liked to reunite him with defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and defensive line coach Vince Oghobaase, who both coached him at Boston College.
You can add Dan Quinn and the Commanders to that list.
Cowboys likely stole Donovan Ezeiruaku from Dan Quinn, Commanders
Ezeiruaku took a pre-draft 30 visit with the Commanders and numerous fans wanted to take him at No. 29 overall.
It stands to reason Washington would have considered him at No. 61. It would have taken a monster trade to move up to the mid-40s and Quinn doesn't have a lot of draft capital to begin with. You can understand why fans circled Ezeiruaku as a first-round target.
MUST-READ: Cowboys pull off draft heist by nabbing first-round talent Donovan Ezeiruaku
"Donovan Ezeiruaku was a hot name on mock drafts for the Commanders at No. 29 overall," writes Dean Jones of Riggo's Rag. "His size, explosiveness, and versatility made him an intriguing potential addition to Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr.'s defense.
The Commanders opted to take Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly despite trading multiple draft picks for standout left tackle Laremy Tunsil. They signed starting tight tackle Sam Cosmi to a four-year $74 million extension before last season, which raises more questions.
Maybe they view Conerly as a guard, but pass rusher was a much bigger need. They no longer have Dante Fowler Jr., who returned to Dallas on a one-year deal. Old friend Dorance Armstrong and Clelin Ferrell are their projected starting edge rushers.
If you needed another reason to love the Ezeiruaku pick, you got it.