The Dallas Cowboys have wrapped up mandatory minicamp. New faces are getting used to their home, but several young players are returning to build on their success in 2025. One player looking to take the next step in 2026 is edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku.
FOX NFL reporter Ben Arthur listed Ezeiruaku as his best candidate to be an X-Factor on the Cowboys in 2026. With a new look and attitude under Christian Parker, Dallas is hoping to turn things around on defense next year.
For Ezeiruaku, a breakout season could go a long way towards proving he can be the next great Cowboys' pass rusher.
Donovan Ezeiruaku could end up being a Dallas Cowboys standout in 2026
When the team traded away Micah Parsons before the 2025 season, a lot of attention turned to Ezeiruaku as his replacement. While Ezeiruaku was regarded as one of the best rushers in the 2025 draft, his rookie season did not stand out much. It is hard to replace a player of Parsons' caliber, but Ezeiruaku's talent shined at times during last season.
Ezeiruaku started in nine games during his rookie season. He only came away with two sacks, but overall, the defense struggled to get to the quarterback all season.
On top of rookie season struggles, Ezeiruaku also had hip labrum surgery this offseason. With the team not retaining their sacks leader, Jadeveon Clowney, the assumption is that Dallas is not going to keep Ezeiriku in the background anymore.
The Cowboys did bring in reinforcements this offseason. They traded for Rashan Gary and drafted Malachi Lawrence. However, Ezeiruaku's ceiling might be higher than both of those players. In his final year at Boston College, his sack numbers jumped astronomically from just two in his junior year to a whopping 16.5 as a senior. With a leap in production like that in college, there is good reason to believe his production can increase heavily in his sophomore NFL season.
Ezeiruaku's recovery from injury limited him during the team's minicamp. However, it appears he did participate in a few light drills during practice. Reports have also surfaced that Brian Schottenheimer believes he will be a full go once training camp begins in late July.
While having plenty of depth is always great, Ezeiruaku is being tabbed as arguably the biggest candidate to have a breakout season. If this defense wants to elevate itself from the floor it is on right now, he has to be one of the players to lead that effort. Dallas has hit on their second round draft picks the past few seasons and the team is hoping Ezeiruaku is the next one.
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