The Cowboys got a hometown discount on Odighizuwa in hopes he brings terror to opposing backfields.

The Dallas Cowboys have defined themselves over the last decade as a team that doesn’t venture into the first wave of free agency. While teams around the league look to acquire the best talent hitting the market, the Cowboys instead choose to search for cost-conscious acquisitions so they aren’t burned by spending a ton of money for players who have not proven themselves to those inside the building at The Star in Frisco. Dallas’ big deals are reserved for players who have performed while wearing the star, and this offseason the man that fit the bill was interior defender Osa Odighizuwa.

Odighizuwa is now entering his fifth season with the Cowboys. The former third-round pick has become a mainstay in the Cowboys’ interior, as their only homegrown prospect at defensive tackle who has solidified himself among the league’s best in the last decade. Dallas let Maliek Collins, a 2016 third-round pick, walk after his rookie contract expired, and after missing his presence in 2020, grabbed Odighizuwa as part of an 11-player draft class. The Cowboys didn’t let Odighizuwa escape, signing him to a four-year extension right before he hit the open market, and at a significant hometown discount.

Rundown

Position: Defensive Tackle

Age: 27 (by Week 1)

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 280 pounds

Hometown: Dayton, OH (born) | Oregon

High School: David Douglas HS, Portland

College: UCLA (Highlight Video)

Draft: 2021, Third-round pick No. 75

Acquired: 2021 Draft

Contract: Four-year deal (2025), $80 million includes signing bonus of $20 million

2025 Base Salary: $1.75 million (guaranteed) | $500k per-game roster bonuses (g’teed) | Cap Hit: $6.25M

Career Earnings: $26.8 million (per Over The Cap)

Profile

Odighizuwa is the quintessential three-technique defensive tackle, lining up against either guard on a regular basis. He’ll occasionally play defensive end, but those snaps are primarily in situations when Dallas goes into a three-man front. Although his sack totals don’t scream elite, his pressure metrics do as he’s consistently among the league’s top interior players in getting into the backfield on passing plays. As a run defender, he does leave something to be desired.

The Cowboys have failed to augment Odighizuwa with another quality interior player, and as such the team continues to struggle along the defensive line despite teaming Agent OO97 with elite edge rusher Micah Parsons.

Odighizuwa started 12 of 16 games as a rookie, and has started all 17 games in each of the last three seasons. He has 13.5 career sacks, including 4.5 in 2024 when he has 60 pressures, third-most of all defensive linemen. He’ll be spelled this season by Solomon Thomas, a 2025 free-agent acquisition, and most likely flanked by Mazi Smith, their 2023 first-round pick out of Michigan.

There isn’t much in the cupboard at defensive tackle for the Cowboys, which has been the storyline of the last couple seasons and the reason Odighizuwa logged over 850 snaps in 2024. Dallas could still look to play the late free-agent market to bring in more depth as the offseason progresses.

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