Sophia
FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys’ landscape shifted dramatically in a mere 24 hours, and at the epicenter of that change is second-round rookie edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku. Once viewed as an understudy to one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers, Ezeiruaku now finds himself thrust into a pivotal role, tasked with helping to fill the immense void left by the departure of All-Pro Micah Parsons.
Parsons, a four-time Pro Bowler, was traded to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday evening in a blockbuster deal that sent two first-round picks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark to Dallas. The move sent shockwaves through the league and immediately recalibrated expectations for the Cowboys’ defensive unit, particularly for its promising young talent.
A Direct Call to Action for the Rookie
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer wasted no time in addressing the seismic shift. He personally called 12 to 14 players, including Ezeiruaku, on Friday morning, following the official announcement of Parsons’ trade. Schottenheimer’s message was clear and direct.
“The biggest thing would be some of the young guys are going to have to step up,” Schottenheimer stated on Friday. “Donovan knows that.”
Indeed, the weight of replacing Parsons is substantial. Since sacks became an individual statistic in 1982, Parsons is the only player to record 12 or more sacks in each of his first four seasons. His impact on the Cowboys’ defense is undeniable: per CBS Sports Research, Dallas’ defensive expected points added (EPA) per play with Parsons on the field has been the best in the NFL since 2021. Conversely, without him, the Cowboys have registered the league’s worst EPA per play in that same span.
Ezeiruaku Embraces the Challenge
Despite the daunting task, Ezeiruaku, who recorded 16.5 sacks at Boston College last season (the second-most in college football), appears unfazed. He’s ready to embrace the heightened expectations.
“It doesn’t change my expectations at all. I have high expectations for myself,” Ezeiruaku affirmed on Friday. “I know my guys have high expectations for me, and we have high expectations for each other. It doesn’t change much of that. Obviously, it’s a void that we’ll have to fill. I think we’ll be able to fill that.”
A Mentor’s Lasting Impact
The relationship between Parsons and the Cowboys’ front office may have fractured, but his bond with his now-former teammates remains strong. Parsons personally called Ezeiruaku on Thursday night to inform him of the trade after the news broke, highlighting the mentorship he provided the rookie during the offseason.
“He took me in. I had a brother, in my opinion, and that stemmed all the way from draft day,” Ezeiruaku shared. “As soon as I got drafted, he was one of the first people to reach out to me. So that’s pretty much what it was. He taught me a lot in his moments and time being here. We will still talk. This is not like a funeral or anything like that where he’s just not around or anything like that. We talked last night too. We had a phone call, and he’s just like ‘I’m still here for you.'”
Ezeiruaku cited Parsons’ technique and daily routine as key takeaways from their time together, lessons he intends to carry forward.
“Some technique stuff. Obviously, I’ve always had a strong work ethic at the end of the day, but I got a chance to work out with him while we had some time off,” Ezeiruaku explained. “So his work ethic, how he moves about going [through his] day-to-day. Those are the things I’ve kind of taken from him.”
Opportunity Knocks: More Snaps for the Hungry Rookie
While some might shy away from the pressure of replacing an All-Pro, Ezeiruaku views Parsons’ departure as an accelerated opportunity to earn more snaps and contribute earlier in his NFL career.
“Yeah, for sure. I think I’ve always been hungry, especially the guys in the room,” Ezeiruaku said. “We’ve always been hungry to go get it. … At the same time, we understand it’s a big piece of the pie that’s missing or that’s not here anymore. We got to feel that, and I think that we’re doing exactly that.”
Defensive Depth and the Kenny Clark Factor
Schottenheimer revealed that the depth of the Cowboys’ edge rusher room, including Ezeiruaku, was a crucial factor in the “unanimous” decision to trade Parsons.
“That was a big part of it. You’re always looking at different areas and when you look at the guys that we have that can create pass rush, Dante [Fowler] and Sam [Williams] certainly, drafting a guy like Donovan, James Houston’s a guy that’s come out of nowhere that we found on the streets and Marshawn Kneeland, there’s guys that we have that play inside that can play outside, it was part of the decision,” Schottenheimer explained. “But this was not something that we just stumbled upon and said, ‘Yeah, let’s do this.’ It was well thought out. It was a lot of conversations about it. Again at the end of the day, you’ve got to make sure that it works.”
The acquisition of three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark is also expected to significantly bolster the interior of the defensive line, a recognized weakness in 2023. Last season, with 2023 first-round pick Mazi Smith starting all 17 games, Dallas’ defense ranked third-worst in the NFL in yards per carry allowed (4.8) and fourth-worst in rushing yards allowed per game (137.1).
Schottenheimer described Clark as “violent and battle-hardened,” traits that will be essential in new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’ aggressive attack front. The prospect of playing alongside a veteran like Clark has Ezeiruaku eager to see the full potential of the Cowboys’ new-look defense.
“It helps a lot because you can’t rush the passer without stopping the run first,” Ezeiruaku said of adding Clark. “I’m excited for Kenny to be over here. He seems like a cool dude. We already talked, chopped it up a little bit, but you know it’ll be fun. … He definitely adds a really solid piece to this defensive line. I can’t say if it’s [the defensive line] incomplete or complete, but I look forward to Thursday to find out.”
The Cowboys will get their first true test in under a week, as they open their season against the Super Bowl LIX Philadelphia Eagles on September 4th. All eyes will be on Ezeiruaku and the retooled Dallas defense as they embark on a new era without Micah Parsons.
