FRISCO — Boston College defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku only had an informal meeting with the Dallas Cowboys at the NFL Combine. It was a brief passing by moment in a series of many pre-draft conversations. It wouldn’t be enough to signal the Cowboys potentially selecting Ezeiruaku.
If there had been more pre-draft interest, maybe then Ezeiruaku, a Philadelphia native, could’ve warned the rest of the people attending his draft party at a local country club: maybe keep the Eagles attire at home.
Not that it would’ve mattered much anyways.
“Some people from my hometown actually had Eagles gear on,” Ezeiruaku said, “and I said ‘Go ahead and take that off right now.'”
“They didn’t. I said y’all are going to have to get out of here.”
It didn’t take long for Ezeiruaku, a now-former Eagles fan, to ditch his fanhood in support of his new NFL team. The Dallas Cowboys selected the ACC Defensive Player of the Year with the No. 44 overall pick on Saturday.
“I was surprised,” Ezeiruaku said, citing the lack of pre-draft interest from the Cowboys. “But it was a great phone call. [Jerry] Jones got on the phone and asked me how excited I was, and I said ecstatic. It was a great surprise.”
Ezeiruaku surprised some this past year at Boston College. He had a combined 13.5 sacks his first three seasons at Boston College. This past year he recorded 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. He earned All-American honors.
There was some physical differences. Ezeiruaku cited a focus on conditioning, as well as some extra lifting. There was another change to his game.
“I was just playing free,” Ezeiruaku said.
Free and fast, which is his calling card.
“Slightly undersized outside linebacker for a 3-4 front with long arms and plus athleticism. Ezeiruaku uses every bit of his length paired with aggression to mitigate size differences at the point of attack. He gets engulfed at times but typically separates from or slips blocks cleanly. He’s quick off the snap, using bend and agility to win at the top of the rush or make stops in the backfield,” NFL.com’s scouting report of him read. “His hands exploit small advantages to turn them into big ones and he has a variety of ways to challenge protection, though he’s still learning to craft his plans. Ezeiruaku’s play demeanor, skill and athletic talent are the underpinnings of a productive starter with three-down value.”
With the Cowboys, Ezeiruaku should have the ability to grow into an every-don defensive end. He won’t be tasked with that in his first year, however. He’ll join a defensive pass rushing group that includes Dante Fowler Jr., Marshawn Kneeland, Sam Williams and Micah Parsons.
“It’ll be great to learn from somebody like that,” Ezeiruaku said of playing with Parsons.
The selection of Ezeiruaku also continues a trend for the Cowboys through the first two rounds. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer was moved by the words of his first round pick, Tyler Booker, during his introductory press conference on Saturday afternoon. In Booker, they saw an “alpha,” according to Schottenheimer. With Ezeiruaku , they’re also getting a similar ability. Ezeiruaku was a two-time captain at Boston College, as voted by his teammates.
“It wasn’t a coach’s decision,” Ezeiruaku said. “That my peers respected me and we have that mutual respect and trust, it meant the world.”
It also meant a lot to Ezeiruaku to see his favorite team growing up, the Eagles, win the Super Bowl last season.
“My last year as an Eagles fan,” Ezeiruaku said.
Now, he’ll turn his attention to helping Philadelphia’s rival get to such a place.
