Impact: Projecting roles for each of the Cowboys’ nine draft picks – Dallas Cowboys
2025-04-28T21:48:44Z
With the NFL Draft in the rear view mirror for the Cowboys, how do each of their nine draft picks fit on the roster heading into their rookie season?
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys added nine new players over the course of three days in the 2025 NFL Draft, including six picks on Saturday with double-dips at running back and defensive tackle. With needs all over the roster, each of the picks has an opportunity to step into a role and contribute in some form or fashion from the jump during their time in Dallas. Let’s dive into where each new Cowboy fits into the team’s overall puzzle ahead of this week’s rookie minicamp: Tyler Booker (1st round, 12 overall, G, Alabama) – Selecting Booker at 12th overall was the tell-tale sign that Brian Schottenheimer and the Cowboys are committed to establishing themselves on the line of scrimmage. Many wanted this pick to be a skill position player to help Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, but Booker helps in a different way, by keeping Prescott’s jersey clean and opening lanes in the run game. Projected role: With Zack Martin hanging up his cleats, Booker was selected to fill his shoes at right guard, and likely will from the jump. Donovan Ezeiruaku (2nd round, 44th overall, DE, Boston College) – Projected as a first-round pick in some mocks, Ezeiruaku fell to the Cowboys at 44 and Dallas stuck to their strategy of picking the best player available. You can never have enough pass rushers, and Ezeiruaku gives the Cowboys another sack specialist opposite of Micah Parsons. Projected role: With guys like Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland alongside him in the room, Ezeiruaku will at the very least serve in a rotational role with the potential to develop into a full-time starter alongside Parsons. Shavon Revel Jr. (3rd round, 76th overall, CB East Carolina) – Another projected first or second round selection, Revel Jr. dropped into the third round because of injury concerns surrounding a torn ACL he suffered last season at ECU. Cowboys team doctor Dan Cooper performed his surgery, so Dallas likely had as good of an injury report and projection on him than anyone else. Revel said on the Draft Show that he’s expecting to return in time for training camp. Projected role: Assuming Revel does in fact return for training camp and is a full go, he has the chance to be the second starter opposite of DaRon Bland with Trevon Diggs nursing an injury, and if not can fill in on a rotational role/on special teams. Jaydon Blue (5th round, 149th overall, RB, Texas) – Blue’s 4.38 40-yard dash was the second amongst all running backs at the NFL Combine, and it almost seems like he plays faster on tape. He has better contact balance than most for his size and saw a lot of production between the tackles, but can change the game as a receiver out of the backfield and in open space with his speed. Projected role: The Cowboys’ running back room is crowded, but Blue’s speed and ability as a receiver give him a leg up over some of the other backs in the room. If he can improve his ball security, he has a chance to earn snaps as a member of a by-committee approach or even in a starting role. Shemar James (5th round, 152nd overall pick, LB, Florida) – James plays fast and and is a smooth athlete that has all the traits to be able to play linebacker at the NFL level, especially considering he’s still only 20 years old. The upside is there, but there’s room for development and play recognition that Matt Eberflus and Dave Borgonzi will need to sharpen. Projected role: Special teams is a great place for James to start out to both refine his tackling craft and let his athleticism and physicality show. With DeMarvion Overshown out with an injury for the foreseeable future, he may see increased snaps on the defensive side of the ball too with Overshown’s absence. Ajani Cornelius (6th round, 204th overall pick, OL, Oregon) – Cornelius brings versatility to the table for the Cowboys with the ability to play tackle and guard. He played right tackle his entire collegiate career, but has the punch and build at 6’4, 312 pounds to move inside too. Projected role: Cornelius presents himself as an intriguing option as a swing tackle, with the ability to push for backup roles at any position on the offensive line outside of center. Jay Toia (7th round, 217th overall pick, DT, UCLA) – The first defensive tackle drafted by the Cowboys in 2025, Toia was a player that the Cowboys were happy was available this late because of where he projects as a one-technique defensive tackle. He’s got a big, heavy frame at 6’2, 341 pounds and eats up blocks in the middle to help stop the run. Projected role: With only five defensive tackles on the roster heading into the draft, Toia has a real opportunity to earn a large chunk of snaps on the defensive line in his rookie season, and even push Mazi Smith for a starting role if he plays well enough. Phil Mafah (7th round, 239th overall, RB, Clemson) – Mafah possesses an NFL build and runs with great contact balance and ball security, with only one fumble on 237 touches in his final season at Clemson. He’s not the fastest guy in the open field, but has the ability to pick up the nitty-gritty yards in between the tackles. Projected role: Similarly to Blue, Mafah will have to stand out in a crowded running back room, and his power and ability to push forward will likely have to be the determining factors in that equation in order to earn a role in Dallas’ run game. Tommy Akingbesote (7th round, 247th overall, DT, Maryland) – Akingbesote was the second one-tech that the Cowboys took in the seventh round, and presents a bigger, but leaner body at 6’3, 306 on the defensive line that specializes in stopping the run. Projected role: Akingbesote and Toia will likely compete against one another for the second one-technique spot on the roster, and Akingbesote has a lot of developing to do but has extremely high upside. It’s all beginning to sink in for the Cowboys’ draft class of 2025, as Tyler Booker and both Day 2 picks are officially assigned their shiny new jersey numbers in Dallas. Former Cowboys running back Tashard Choice coached fifth-round draft pick Jaydon Blue for three years at Texas, and now will get to see him play for the same team he did 17 years later. In todays column, Mickey Spagnola covers his overall impressions of the draft weekend. The Cowboys are in the process of signing undrafted free agents following the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft. The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, Brian Schottenheimer’s first as head coach of the Cowboys. He along with Stephen and Jerry Jones and Will McClay reflected on the team’s draft choices, and spoke about the future in the wide receiver room. The final two selections of the 2025 NFL Draft are in the books for the Dallas Cowboys, with Phil Mafah and Tommy Akingbesote rounding out their haul this year. In the hopes of throwing more talent at the defensive line, particularly at defensive tackle, the Cowboys use a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Jay Toia. Doubling down on the need to bolster the offensive line, the Cowboys use their only sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Ajani Cornelius out of Oregon. New Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue hasn’t left the state of Texas throughout his entire football career, and is elated for the opportunity to earn his spot in Dallas’ running back room. The Cowboys are making sure they stack SEC talent in the 2025 NFL Draft, the latest being Shemar James, a linebacker out of Florida who they traded up to acquire. The need at running back in Dallas is being addressed in the 2025 NFL Draft with the selection of Jaydon Blue, a former Texas standout turned Cowboys’ weapon.
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