The NFL Draft is where dreams are made... and where nightmares are born. Every year, while teams celebrate their shiny new rookies, there’s always that gnawing fear lingering in the back of fans’ minds: What if our biggest rival just got better too?
It’s not just about who you draft. It’s about who the teams in your division quietly sneak away with when you’re too busy celebrating your own picks.
And make no mistake: there’s nothing worse than realizing a rival may have stolen a future star. A real “how the heck did they get him there?” moment. A steal isn’t just about talent either. It’s about value. It’s about getting a player well after where he should have been taken—and watching that pick haunt you for the next decade.
Unfortunately for Giants fans, that exact nightmare might’ve just happened. Because while Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll were putting together a draft class to believe in, the Cowboys — as much as it pains us to say it—may have just landed an absolute game-changer.
Giants fans are going to lose sleep over Dallas’ Donovan Ezeiruaku pick
Let’s call it like it is. The Cowboys had a hilariously brutal start to the draft when they reached for Tyler Booker at No. 12. They looked lost. But then Round 2 rolled around... and somehow, they got a major steal. Dallas snagged Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku at 44 overall, a player most experts had as a first-round talent.
Ezeiruaku was one of the most productive players in college football last season. The reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year, he led the conference with 21 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks. His tape is filled with highlight plays—freaky bend around the edge, quickness off the snap, polished pass-rush moves.
And to top it off? He tested like a monster at the combine, showing elite short-area quickness and explosion.
This isn’t just about talent either. It’s about fit. With DeMarcus Lawrence gone and Sam Williams rehabbing a torn ACL, Dallas needed juice on the defensive front. Ezeiruaku gives them exactly that, and he won’t just be some rotational body. He’s good enough to be disruptive immediately, especially when paired next to Micah Parsons.
And here’s where the Giants’ headaches really begin: the offensive line is still a major work in progress. Sure, Marcus Mbow was a nice value pick. But outside of Andrew Thomas, every starting spot carries some level of concern. Jermaine Eluemunor and Jon Runyan Jr. are on short-term deals. Evan Neal’s future in New York is all but over. The depth pieces like James Hudson III and Stone Forsythe are fine. In short? This line needs to gel fast... or it’s going to be a feeding frenzy for guys like Parsons and Ezeiruaku twice a year.
Nobody likes admitting the Cowboys did something right—and they typically don't—but this one? It stings. Donovan Ezeiruaku is a problem, and it could end up being an even bigger problem for Big Blue if the offensive line isn’t ready for the smoke.