Cowboys' Donovan Ezeiruaku has work cut out for him in new scheme

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Cowboys' Donovan Ezeiruaku to have his work cut out for him in new scheme

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Mar 2, 2026 9:15 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys are undoubtedly hoping for big things from former second-round pick pass-rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku in 2026.

He's heading into an all-important second season in the league, and he flashed some exciting potential as a rookie.

The problem for both Dallas and Ezeiruaku, though, is that this is shaping up to be a frustrating offseason. He played in all 17 games for the Cowboys as a rookie, but a few weeks ago, after the season, he underwent hip surgery to repair a torn labrum.

ESPN's Todd Archer is now reporting that Ezeiruaku could be out until the start of training camp.

He'll obviously try to get back sooner. Still, if this ends up being the case, Ezeiruaku is going to miss a ton of offseason work in new defensive coordinator Christian Parker's scheme.

Donovan Ezeiruaku is five weeks removed from hip surgery that will prevent him from being a full participant in the offseason program, per source. The expectation is he will be ready for training camp.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) March 2, 2026

This is a big deal for a young player trying to learn a new scheme. Keep in mind, the Cowboys are going to be transitioning from a 4-3 under former defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus to a 3-4 under Parker.

Donovan Ezeiruaku to play OLB for Dallas Cowboys in 2026

What that means for Ezeiruaku is that he's going to be transitioning from defensive end to outside linebacker, though Parker is expected to run multiple fronts, so Ezeiruaku will likely be playing with both his hand in the dirt and as a stand-up linebacker.

Ultimately, head coach Brian Schottenheimer believes playing as a 3-4 outside linebacker will benefit the Boston College product.

"I feel really, really good about Eze and what he's capable of," Schottenheimer said at the NFL combine last week.

Checking in at 6-foot-2, 248 pounds, Ezeiruaku notched 40 tackles (20 solo), two sacks, 8.5 stuffs and one forced fumble as a rookie.

The Cowboys are undoubtedly hoping that he was simply scratching the surface of his potential.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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