Cowboys star Micah Parsons has strong message for rookie defender

With the 2025 NFL draft complete, the Dallas Cowboys are preparing for rookie minicamp, which begins in less than 24 hours. Seventh-round pick Phil Mafah arrived on Thursday, sharing a picture from inside The Star.

He's not the only rookie excited to get to work, however, as second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku said he's ready to "get to work" — especially after hearing from superstar Micah Parsons.

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Ezeiruaku says Parsons reached out to him after he was selected, telling the rookie "let's get to work."

"It's going to be fun, he reached out after the draft, he said 'Let's get to work,' and I said 'Let's do it.' I'm excited, having somebody of that caliber on the other side of the field, it'll be very special to see."

#Cowboys Micah Parsons reached out to Donovan Ezeiruaku after the draft:

“It's going to be fun, he reached out after the draft, he said 'Let's get to work,' and I said 'Let's do it.’”

Excellent ready by @tommy_yarrish below ⬇️ https://t.co/C3oCMgKy0U
— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) May 1, 2025

Like Parsons, Ezeiruaku grew up near Philadelphia and cheered for the Eagles. He's also denounced his fandom, which endeared him further to Dallas fans.

Boston College Eagles defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku in action against the SMU Mustangs. — Boston College Eagles defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku in action during the game between the SMU Mustangs and the Boston College Eagles at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The ACC sack leader, Ezeiruaku had 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss during his senior season with Boston College. He joins an impressive group of pass rushers in Parsons, Dante Fowler Jr., and Sam Williams. He was considered a borderline first-round talent who was still available at No. 44 partly due to his size (6-foot-2, 247 pounds) and run defense.

As a rookie, he will likely play behind Fowler as he improves against the run. Even so, expect him to be a factor on passing situations early.

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