When's the last time the Dallas Cowboys' defense offered this much resistance to the offense in training camp? It's not just a couple of guys making plays, either. You'd be hard-pressed to find a defender who hasn't made his presence felt.
The defensive tackle position, in particular, has been a constant headache. Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark have played exactly as expected, making it easy to overlook Otito Ogbonnia, who signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract with Dallas at the onset of free agency.
Ogbonnia is capable of anchoring against the run, but on Tuesday he impressed in another area, as noted by Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com. It's early, but Dallas is already seeing why it made the 25-year-old a priority signing.
"At 6-3, 355, he's the biggest player on the team, but don't let his size fool you," Eatman wrote. "Twice on Tuesday, Ogbonnia showed off his speed, snuffing out screens and pitch-plays to the outside, proving that he can make plays both in the middle and outside of the trenches.
Otito Ogbonnia is showing why the Cowboys signed him in free agency
Christian Parker is going to ask his outside linebackers (pass rushers) to drop into coverage quite a bit. While Ogbonnia won't be doing that himself, his ability to sniff out screens and outside runs should make him an even better fit in a scheme that champions versatility.
That is Ogbonnia's calling card, as he's comfortable playing anywhere from the 4i to the 0-technique. In other words, he can play any of the interior positions.
What he lacks in getting upfield to rush opposing quarterbacks, he more than makes up for in driving back down blocks and handling double teams. It's thankless work that rarely shows up in the box score, but it's invaluable to a defense. Ogobbonia's career is a testament to that.
In 2024, Ogbonnia started all 17 games for the Chargers and finished the season with 37 tackles, three tackles for loss, 0 quarterback hits, and 12 defensive stops. Those numbers are not indicative of his week-to-week impact.
Sharing a defensive line with Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark will only make his job easier, especially if Ogbonnia is the third interior defender in Parker's base looks. That's been a consistent theme in training camp, per Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News.
It's hard to say the Cowboys' DT room is deeper this season after trading Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas. However, between Williams, Clark, Ogbonnia, and rookie LT Overton, who can play inside and out, it's built for a wider variety of fronts and personnel packages.
If there's a battle for the DT3 job happening in Oxnard, Ogbonnia is lapping the competition. He's going to be a crucial part of the rotation once September rolls around.
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