Dallas Cowboys select Donovan Ezeiruaku in second round of 2025 NFL Draft

Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku has been among the top projected defenders in this draft coming off his senior season with the Eagles. That has now played itself out with his selection.

The Dallas Cowboys selected Ezeiruaku in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. They used the No. 44 overall pick.

Ezeiruaku leaves Chestnut Hill as one of the best players in program history with this pick only emphasizing that. That’s after, in 47 games played, he posted 217 tackles, 47 of those being for loss, with 30 sacks, eight forced fumbles, and four deflections. He then capped that off as a senior with a career-best year with 80 tackles, 21 being for loss, with 16.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and a deflection. With that, Ezeiruaku led the nation in sacks and finished second in tackles for loss while earning honors as First Team All-ACC as ACC Defensive Player of the Year, as the best defensive end in the nation as the recipient of the Ted Hendricks Award, and as a Consensus All American.

Ezeiruaku, a native of Williamstown, New Jersey, was a three-star recruit in the 2021 cycle. He also rated as a Top-115 LB in the class and the No. 20 prospect out of New Jersey. That’s according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Ezeiruaku

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein assessed Ezeiruaku as a prospect coming out in this class. He noted his size as an issue but felt he has a lot with his body to offset that with length, athleticism, and agility. That, paired with other aspects of his game and skill set, has him projecting as a first-round selection that can produce early on as a starting defensive end in the NFL.

“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. 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.”