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Osa Odighizuwa is primed to prove the latest talk about him wrong and the Cowboys seriously need him to
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

In the NFL, July is the month of lists. Rankings of players, games, moments, predictions, as we enter the final stretch of waiting before training camps kick off around the league.

And with the lists always comes some degree of controversy. We can't help it as humans. If a list isn't in a particular order we think is right, we must let everyone know! Well, that's how I feel about Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa as I type this. 

ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler does a great job every year polling NFL coaches, execs, and scouts for their votes on the best players at each position. On Tuesday, he released the defensive tackles list and I was relatively surprised to learn Odighizuwa—who signed a new four-year, $80 million contract earlier this offseason—was not in the Top 10. 

I say "relatively" because it's a loaded position nowadays in the NFL. I get it if someone doesn't view Odighizuwa as one of the league's finest. But after the Top 10 come the honorable mentions. The Cowboys DT didn't make that segment either. Then, almost as an afterthought comes the "also received votes" category—in which even one single vote is enough.

Let's look at a few facts: 

  • Odighizuwa is tied for fifth in total pressures, per PFF
  • He ranks fifth in pass rush win rate. 
  • He ranks seventh in hurries. 

For context, five of the other six players tied for fifth or better in total pressures were ranked in the Top 10. The remaining one, Zach Allen from the Denver Broncos, was an honorable mention. 

So why was Odighizuwa snubbed from the Top 10?

There's no denying Odighizuwa is one of the best pass rushing defensive tackles in the league. But in all likelihood, voters left him because his run defense isn't exactly great. It might be good, but it's not great. 

Odighizuwa has a very low missed tackle percentage and he does his job but he isn't a run game wrecker. His skillset is better suited for pass rushing. If he steps up that area of his game though, he truly can become one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. 

And the thing is. . . The Cowboys need him to prove the talk about him not being great versus the run wrong. 

The biggest question surrounding the Cowboys defense going into the 2025 NFL season is: Can they stop the run? After a couple of years of struggling in that department, the team lost its best defensive lineman versus the run, DeMarcus Lawrence, in free agency. The front office didn't upgrade at nose tackle either. 

In Matt Eberflus' scheme, Odighizuwa will be more important than ever before given the weight put on the three-tech spot, which Osa mans. If the Cowboys' $80 million man is able to reach the next level, the defense will be on its way to a big year.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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