The Dallas Cowboys are shuffling their defensive front once again to start the league year. After acquiring Packers’ edge rusher Rashan Gary, the Cowboys are sending away a key piece of the interior defensive line.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the San Francisco 49ers are acquiring defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa from the Cowboys in exchange for a third-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Odighizuwa was a third-round pick by the Cowboys in 2021 and developed into one of the strongest run defenders for Dallas up front. However, just one season after signing a four-year, $80 million extension with the team, Dallas decided to move on.
The Cowboys didn’t improve after extending him, but that might be attributed more to the injuries the team battled and the decision to trade away Micah Parsons. Odighizuwa tallied 44 tackles, six for a loss, 3.5 sacks and 23 quarterback hits.
Schultz reports that Odighizuwa was part of the package the Cowboys were negotiating with the Raiders for star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby before he was dealt to Baltimore. Even though that trade fell through, the decision to deal Odighizuwa only further underscores the fact that the Cowboys are moving on from that pursuit.
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The 28-year-old defender still had solid production last season, but moving forward, he was operating as a third defensive tackle behind Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, both of whom the team traded for last season. With the 49ers, Odighizuwa becomes a young, veteran and reliable interior defender the team has been searching for.
The disruptor had 17 sacks, 34 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles during his five seasons in Dallas.
For the 49ers, it fills a great area of need before the draft and allows the team to address other areas. San Francisco had seven picks in the upcoming draft, so dealing away one pick on Day 2 is a fair cost to pay.
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