Cowboys breakout star cracks top-25 defensive tackle rankings

A breakout season in 2024 has the Dallas Cowboys' starting 3-tech named among the best in the NFL.

Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons celebrates with DT Osa Odighizuwa after a sack against the Cleveland Browns. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

A third-round pick out of UCLA in the 2021 NFL draft, Osa Odighizuwa has developed into one of the defensive leaders for the Dallas Cowboys.

2024 was his best season as a pro, with Odighizuwa recording 47 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He was also among the leaders in quarterback pressures from the interior.

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His hard work led to a four-year, $80 million extension for Odighizuwa. He's now being paid like one of the top defensive tackles, which is what PFF's Trevor Sikkema says he is. In his ranking of the top 32 defensive tackles, he has Odighizuwa ranked 25th overall.

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa celebrates after a sack against the New York Giants. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

"Odighizuwa struggled in run defense last year en route to a 50.8 PFF run-defense grade, but the entire Cowboys defense followed suit, so perhaps it came down to coaching. He did earn a 78.0-plus PFF pass-rush grade for the second season in a row," Sikkema wrote.

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Entering his fifth season in the league, Odighizuwa is excited to get to work with new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. He had plenty of success in 2024 under Mike Zimmer, but says he will be allowed to attack the quarterback even more under Eberflus. That could be a recipe for Odighizuwa to climb even higher up the list.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. is tackled by Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

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