PFF thinks Cowboys benefitted from Saints blowing it by not drafting this prospect
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and one team’s screwup is another’s fortune. At least, that’s what the Dallas Cowboys must be hoping for when it comes to the second round of this year’s NFL draft. It’s funny, because that’s probably the exact same sentiment the New Orleans Saints organization felt back in the winter months when the conversation was about head coaching hires.
Pro Football Focus analyst Trevor Sikkema, in identifying teams he feels made missteps in their draft hauls, believes the Saints should’ve used the No. 40 selection on a player the Cowboys were all too happy to pounce on when they got on the clock four picks later.
EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku for QB Tyler Shough
This pick swap can be summed up as: I was not big on Tyler Shough, who ranked 133rd on my big board, and the Saints took him at pick No. 40. Even with the quarterback position tax, that is a reach.
The Saints could have instead moved away from the quarterback position entirely, especially with a top pass rusher still on the board in Donovan Ezeiruaku. He was one of the top 20 players on PFF’s big board as a player who earned a 90.7 PFF pass-rush grade against true pass sets with an 18.2% pass-rush win rate in 2024.
The Cowboys, who weren’t in a currently-dire situation at edge themselves, happily moved away from their perceived top needs to add Ezeiruaku to a stable that already included double-digit sack artists Micah Parsons and Dante Fowler, as well as recent second-round picks Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland. While the latter two may or may not fit the ideal prototype favored by new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, the Cowboys could have easily have waited on the position and gone in a different direction with their pick; but felt the talent was too good to pass up.
The situation was a flip of a scenario that played out in January. The Cowboys hope they come out right on both fronts.
Kellen Moore, the then offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles wanted to return to Dallas to be the Cowboys head honcho. It’s where he got his first coaching opportunities, moving up from QB coach to OC under Jason Garrett as he worked alongside then in support of Dak Prescott. But the Cowboys chose Brian Schottenheimer to steward the next era, leaving Moore to eventually land as HC in New Orleans.
The former QB and first-time head coach clearly will need a franchise quarterback to lead the Saints back to the promise land, and if he feels Shough is that guy than picking him over an edge rusher is a no brainer. But if Shough isn’t the guy or doesn’t overtake Carr in the near future, than Ezeiruaku could end up the mistake Saints fans look back on as an early misstep in the new regime.
