Dallas Bound: Donovan Ezeiruaku Drafted By The Cowboys

April 26, 2025 by Mike Laprey

GREEN BAY, WI – Boston College defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku was selected with the 44th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys on Friday night.

Ezeiruaku's selection marks the 225th all-time BC player drafted and continues the streak of an Eagle hearing his name called at the NFL Draft to 11 consecutive years.

Head coach Bill O'Brien on Donovan Ezeiruaku:  Donovan is a smart, tough, dependable player with great leadership qualities.  He was a unanimous captain selection voted by his teammates.  He has a versatile skill set - an elite pass rusher with great explosive ability to close on the quarterback.  He plays with a great motor and single-handedly won us games by strip sacking the QB at the end of games in critical situations.  Donovan will be a great pro."

After an outstanding 2024 season, Ezeiruaku became the 13th player in Boston College Football history to be named a consensus All-American, earning First Team honors by the American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, and Sporting News.  He was a Second Team All-American pick by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.  The standout defensive end became BC's first All-American since the 2022 season and was the first Eagle to be a consensus All-American since 2013.

The 2024 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-ACC selection, Ezeiruaku led all of NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) players in total sacks, finishing the regular season with a total of 16.5 sacks.  His 1.38 sacks per game average was also tops in the FBS.  His 16.5 sacks also tied for Boston College's single-season record, as he posted at least one sack in eight games and two or more in six games.

Ezeiruaku led Boston College with 80 tackles during the 2024 season, including a team-best 20.5 tackles for a loss, which also ranked second nationally in the FBS.

The Williamstown, New Jersey product was a national semifinalist for the Bednarik, Lombardi, and Walter Camp Player of the Year awards.  Locally, he claimed the Bulger Lowe Award from the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston and the Season Gold Helmet Award from the New England Football Writers.

Off the field, Ezeiruaku is active in the community.  He has volunteered at the Allston/Brighton Food Pantry and with visits to the Boston Public Schools, while also playing an active role with the football program's partnership with Team Impact.

A two-time member of the All-ACC Academic Football team, Ezeiruaku earned his degree in management from BC's Carroll School of Management in December 2024.

Of Note:

• It marks the 21st time a Boston College player has been selected in the second round of the NFL Draft 
• Ezeiruaku becomes the first Eagle to go in the second round since AJ Dillon (62nd overall) went to the Green Bay Packers in 2020
• Ezeiruaku becomes the highest defensive draft pick for BC since Harold Landry (41st overall) went to the Tennessee Titans in 2018
• Since the NFL Draft went to a seven-round format in 1994, Boston College has had 21 players picked among the top two rounds.
• Ezeiruaku becomes the first Boston College player to be drafted by the Dallas Cowboys since OT James Marten in 2007 (3rd round, 67th overall)

Note: Mike Laprey is the Associate Athletics Director, Communications at Boston College.