If the opening conversations about the 2026 NFL draft are any indication, the Dallas Cowboys have a clear focus when it comes to what they want to do with the No. 12 overall pick — 1 of 2 picks they own in the 1st round.
“The Cowboys opened up their draft meetings on Monday with the scouts, coaches, owner and general manager Jerry Jones, co-owner Stephen Jones, vice president of player personnel Will McClay and coach Brian Schottenheimer,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote on Tuesday. “The first position discussed was edge players. Maybe this means nothing, maybe it means a little, but it seems fitting for a team in need of pass-rush help … The Cowboys made a trade last month for Rashan Gary and have Donovan Ezeiruaku, last year’s second-round pick, but they need more.”
There should be plenty of edge rushers available in the 1st round if the Cowboys want 1 — ESPN’s Peter Schrager placed 5 edge rushers in the 1st round of his mock draft released on Tuesday.
Cowboys Traded Away All-Pro Edge Rusher
While it’s not really talked about as much anymore, the Cowboys are only in this position after trading away 1 of the greatest edge rushers in NFL history over a dispute about money before the 2025 season, when they sent Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a pair of 1st round picks and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
The Cowboys already tried to trade for an elite edge rusher this offseason, but found the price too high for Las Vegas Raiders star All-Pro Maxx Crosby. They settled for Gary, a former 1st round pick who found himself, in an interesting twist, market-corrected in Green Bay by the trade for Parsons.
In a move that will benefit the Cowboys in the immediate future and, possibly, Gary in the long run, he agreed to a pretty hefty pay cut with his new team by signing a 2-year, $32 million restructured contract on March 16. He was due $42 million before signing the new deal.
“New Cowboys edge Rashan Gary agreed to a pay cut as part of the trade from Green Bay, dropping his compensation to $16 million each of the next two seasons,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero wrote on his official X account. “Dallas also added an option and void years, lowering Gary’s cap number to $5.44M this season and $8.24M in 2027.Gary had been due $19.5 million this season and $22.5M in 2027, with no guaranteed money. Most of his 2026 compensation is now guaranteed, including a $13.2M signing bonus.”
Donovan Ezeiruaku Enduring Brutal Offseason
Ezeiruaku’s offseason has been one to forget to this point.
“Donovan Ezeiruaku is five weeks removed from hip surgery that will prevent him from being a full participant in the offseason program, per source,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote on X on March 2. “The expectation is he will be ready for training camp.”
That was preceded by some pretty awful off-field news in January, when Ezeiruaku was arrested in Texas.
From CBS News Dallas: “Dallas Cowboys defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku was arrested over the weekend, Collin County jail records show. Jail records show Ezeiruaku was arrested by the Department of Public Safety for reckless driving on Jan. 11. He was released the same day with a bond of $500 and other unlisted conditions.”
Ezeiruaku played in all 17 games for the Cowboys as a rookie, with 9 starts, 40 tackles, 2 sacks, 9 TFL, 12 QB hits and 1 safety.
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