The Dallas Cowboys’ first two days of the draft were heavily predicated on how the rest of the board played out.

Dallas, like other teams on days one and two of the draft, may have had their initial draft plans go off schedule because of the way players fell. This resulted in a changed approach and the Cowboys’ selection of back-to-back defensive players on day two.

Jerry Jones’s response to The Dallas Morning News Cowboys Insider David Moore explained the Cowboys’ decision in the second and third rounds.

“I did not to the first part,” Jerry Jones said when asked if he anticipated taking two defensive players. “It was how it unfolded, and we are well prepared to work orderly through the decisions and the choices.”

Jones went on to say that not only did A.I. help the Cowboys sort through the players and help make decisions, but the internal talks in the war room also made them feel confident about the picks they made.

Jones emphasized the character and work ethic of each of the drafted players Dallas selected. These players will not only help first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer but also be players they would want to be around and will help win football games.

Tyler Booker, guard, No. 12 pick.

Jerry Jones and Dallas had the No. 12 pick in the draft and stayed put. The Cowboys, who may have wanted to draft a receiver in the first round, saw Tetairoa McMillan come off the board four picks before they were on the clock.

While that would have helped Dak Prescott and the offense, pairing Ceedee Lamb with another big target on the opposite side, Dallas has built an army of Tyler’s upfront to protect Prescott and clear the lanes for the running game.

Tyler Booker, from Alabama, became the selection and started for the Crimson Tide in his sophomore and junior seasons. Booker can play left and right guard and had one start for Alabama at left tackle in his junior season. In 778 snaps played in 2024, Booker allowed just half a sack and had a team-high 92 knockdowns.

At 6-foot-5, 321 pounds, Booker is the ultimate competitor. He was a permanent captain for Alabama in 2024. His competitive edge and ability to play through the whistle set him apart from the rest.

His size makes him hard to move, and his arm length, at 34 and a half inches, makes it hard for defenders to get around. He can work well at the second level. This was the safe pick for Dallas, and one that fans and Prescott will appreciate when it is looked back on.

With the addition of Booker, Dallas now has Cooper Beebe at center, drafted in 202, Tyler Smith at left guard, drafted in 2022, who had his fifth-year option picked up and is exercised through 2026, Tyler Guyton at left tackle, drafted in 2024, and Terrence Steele, the new veteran of the group, in his third year of a five-year contract signed back in 2023.

Now that Zack Martin is no longer on the team and Tyler Smith has solidified as the team’s left guard, it will be a competition to see if the 2023 undrafted free agent T.J. Bass or Booker will be the Cowboys’ starting left guard in week 1.

Donovan Ezeiruaku, edge No. 44 pick

Dallas addressed another need in the second round, this time on the defensive side of the ball. The Cowboys selected Boston College defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku in the second round. Projected as a first-round pick, Ezeiruaku fell into day two, and Dallas capitalized.

The most productive and veteran of all the edge rushers in the class, Ezeiruaku played in 47 games in four seasons for the Eagles. This past season in 2024, he totaled 16.5 sacks, 80 tackles, and 21 tackles for loss.

When asked at the press conference after day two of the NFL draft, what attracted Dallas to Ezeiruaku, Will McClay, Vice President of Player Personnel, put it simply.

“Rush the passer and get sacks,” he said.

McClay also said some connected ties between Cowboys quarterback coach Steve Shimko, who spent four seasons at Boston College, played into the selection.

The plan behind Ezeiruaku’s selection and the Cowboys’ pairing is for him to make an immediate impact. His college production matched with his leadership gives Dallas stability and depth.

After 10 seasons of DeMarcus Lawrence, which included four Pro Bowl seasons and a 2017 All-Pro season, Lawrence’s tenure ended in 2024 after four games, before a foot injury kept him out for the rest of the season.

Now in Seattle, Dallas has shifted its focus and addressed the defensive end position, seeking Micah Parsons’ help.

Jones and his front office brought back Dante Fowler, who spent 2023-2024 with the Cowboys. Although he wasn’t as effective with 10 sacks in two seasons, after a strong showing in Washington last season, starting seven games and accounting for 10.5 sacks, at 30 years old, he does bring a veteran presence.

Dallas will also have Sam Williams back, who looked to be on the rise after his first two seasons. In his rookie season in 2022, Williams, who appeared in 15 games, led the team in tackles for loss with seven and added four sacks. He matched his 2023 season with 4.5 sacks, the third most on the team, and a blocked punt.

The Cowboys also signed Payton Turner in the offseason to bring in more competition for the defensive end position. In four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, he appeared in 31 games, zero starts, and has five career sacks.

The foreseeable future could very well be Parsons on one end and Ezeiruaku on the other, and having selected Ezeiruaku in the second round, who fell to Dallas, was a pick the Cowboys couldn’t pass up on.

Shavon Revel Cornerback No. 76

Another player with first-round potential fell into the Cowboys’ lap in the third round. Shavon Revel Jr. became a Dallas Cowboys player not only because of his determined drive to be the best, but also because of his innate talent.

From working 10-hour shifts at Amazon to his father signing him up for an East Carolina University football camp, the past four years of Revel Jr.’s life have drastically changed.

Revel Jr., a 6-foot-2 cornerback, showed from the minute he stepped onto campus in Greenville that he had NFL potential. With his length, speed, ball skills, and cover skills, Revel Jr. was sometimes considered a first-round pick. 

Despite not participating in the combine due to a torn ACL he suffered early in his 2024 season, Revel Jr. posted a 4.40 40-yard dash time and a 39-inch vertical. He was part of the 2020 class coming out of high school who was not rated. 

It’s no question the injury led to his fall in the draft, but in the third round, he was there for the taking, and the Cowboys did just that. 

During the press conference, Dallas Cowboys’ Chief Operating Officer and Co-Owner Stephan Jones said that Revel Jr. would likely start the season on the PUP list, not rushing his Cowboys career. 

After letting go of Jourdan Lewis in free agency to a depleted room because of injuries, the cornerback position is something to keep an eye on for the Cowboys. 

There will be competition in the offseason for the cornerback positions. With Trevon Diggs still in the recovery process from the cartilage issue, which he tried playing through in week 14 last season in the loss to the Bengals, Stephan Jones said the timeline would be an eight-month recovery.  

Josh Butler, who tore his ACL in the latter part of the season, is another Cowboy in recovery and unlikely to participate in training camp. 

The Cowboys will have Andrew Booth, veteran C.J. Goodwin, and Troy Pride Jr. all competing for the cornerback spot, and it is not out of the question that the Cowboys will bring more competition for depth to begin the season. 

For now, it seems DaRon Bland is Dallas’s only healthy option, and he has proven to be a top player in his position.

It makes sense that in the third round, despite the injury, Dalls picked the high upside player in Revel, but it may be some time before fans see the exciting rookie suited up.