Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys didn't necessarily need to add a pass rusher, at least not in the early rounds.
That said, however, new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is seemingly keen on using a deep rotation. So, when Boston College defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku was still available in the second round, America's Team snatched him up with the No. 44 overall pick.
In some circles, the selection is still being seen as a steal, given the fact that Ezeiruaku led the nation with 62 quarterback pressures from the edge in 2024, outgaining Penn State's Abdul Carter, who went third overall to the New York Giants, by eight. He also tied a Boston College single-season record with 16.5 sacks, which led the ACC, also leading the conference with 21 tackles for loss.
So, there's certainly plenty of hype surrounding Ezeiruaku as he prepares for his first professional season. And Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski recently added to it, naming the 21-year-old one of six rookies who have the potential to be more exciting than two-way stud and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter in 2025.
How's that for pressure?
B/R says Cowboys DE Donovan Ezeiruaku could be more exciting than Travis Hunter during the 2025 NFL season
Given the things Travis Hunter can do on both sides of the ball, there's naturally a lot of pressure on the No. 2 overall pick to make an immediate impact for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
However, the NFL is a completely different animal than what Hunter experienced at the collegiate level, and one would think the chances of him seeing as many snaps on both offense and defense as he did at Colorado are relatively low.
As such, B/R constructed the aforementioned list of six rookies whom they believe could be more exciting than Hunter in Year 1.
The first three names listed are ones you'd expect to see, those being quarterback Cam Ward (No. 1 overall, Titans), aforementioned edge rusher Abdul Carter (No. 3 overall, Giants), and running back Ashton Jeanty (No. 6 overall, Raiders).
But right there at No. 4 is Donovan Ezeiruaku, who's one of three second-rounders on the list, the other two being Los Angeles Chargers wideout Tre Harris and Philadelphia Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba.
The section on Ezeiruaku runs through some of the stats we mentioned above, but also features a portion discussing precisely how he's as effective as he is.
"Ezeiruaku wins by setting up his pass-rush moves, stemming inside or outside, and using a euro-step to cover ground laterally and get to the other side. His primary moves are cross-chop and dip-rip, and his bend borders the elite category to win around the edge. Also, he has a couple of good counters with an inside arm-over/swim move and ghost rush."
It's this sentence, though, that seems to sum up why B/R believes he can stand out as a rookie.
"The 21-year-old will have the chance to fully capitalize on opponents being distracted by Micah Parsons at all times, which should create plenty of opportunities for Ezeiruaku to win one-on-one matchups. Thus, he could create a significant impact from Day 1."
Yeah, that undoubtedly tracks. At the moment, one would think the second-rounder will start the season as a backup on the left edge behind the returning Dante Fowler Jr.
But if Ezeiruaku takes advantage of the snaps he gets early in the season, don't be surprised if he cracks the starting lineup sooner rather than later.