It had been a brutal start to day two of the NFL Draft for the Dallas Cowboys. Between Ohio State running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson and Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden, three of their top targets flew off the board at the top of the second round.

Backed into a corner, the Cowboys came out swinging and landed an absolute killer punch in the form of Boston College EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku with the No. 44 pick.

With names like Trey Amos, Will Johnson and Shavon Revel all available, many thought Dallas might zero on a cornerback. Instead, they opt to add another pass rusher to complement Micah Parsons after they lost DeMarcus Lawrence and Chauncey Golston in free agency.

Cowboys pull off draft heist, select Boston College DE Donovan Ezeiruaku

The Cowboys caught a lot of heat for reaching on Booker in the first round. Ezeiruaku is not just a home run pick, but he’s one of the biggest steals of the entire draft so far.

Ezeiruaku is one of the most athletic pass rushers in this class. He led Boston College in sacks and tackles for loss as a sophomore (!) and junior before finishing top three in the FBS with 16.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss. He is now the 13th consensus All-American in the program’s history.

You can never have too many pass rushers and Ezeiruaku adds to a DE group that features arguably the best pass rusher in the game in Parsons, Dante Fowler, who’s coming off a career year with the Commanders, a hungry Sam Williams in a contract year and promising second-year man Marshawn Kneeland.

While the team still needs a wide receiver, cornerback, defensive tackle and running back Ezeiruaku was too intriguing to pass up. Many draft experts gave him a first-round grade and Dallas just stole him in the middle of the second round.