After taking UCLA’s Jay Toia, Dallas doubled down at defensive tackle by selecting Maryland’s Tommy Akingbesote at 247th overall. Akingbesote was the final player the Cowboys selected in this year’s draft.

Here are five things to know about Akingbesote:

1. The basics

Name: Tommy Akingbesote

Position: Defensive tackle

Height: 6-3 Weight: 306 pounds

College: Maryland

Hometown: Largo, Maryland

High school: Charles Herbert Flowers High School (Springdale, Maryland)

2. His football career got sort of a late start

Akingbesote didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school. While he still had a lot to learn, it didn’t take him long to pick up on the nuances of playing on the defensive line.

He decided to try his hand at football after realizing he wasn’t going to play basketball at the Division I level.

Akingbesote quickly developed into a four-star prospect, ranking as the 20th-best defensive lineman in the class of 2021. According to 247Sports, Akingbesote held offers from schools like Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Pittsburgh and South Carolina.

3. An encouraging sign for Cowboys fans?

Akingbesote seems pretty fond of a particular aspect of his position. Shortly after he was drafted, he told reporters he wants to focus on bringing physicality to Dallas’ defensive line.

“I take pride in stopping the run, but I’m trying to develop my pass rush, so I’m here to get developed and stop that run,” Akingbesote said.

Akingbesote finished the 2024 season with 32 tackles, five tackles for loss and one sack.

4. He’s already a Dallas Stars fan

Akingbesote was one of multiple Dallas athletes to make an appearance at American Airlines Center during the Stars’ 2025 playoff run. The defensive tackle was mic’d up for one of the Stars’ Western Conference finals games against Edmonton, along with teammate Donovan Ezeiruaku.

Akingbesote seemed pretty excited to take in the postseason hockey atmosphere.

5. Take a look at some of his Maryland highlights

Want to know what to expect from the Cowboys’ seventh-rounder ahead of his first NFL training camp? The Big Ten compiled a few of his highlights before he was drafted.

Take a look at some of Akingbesote’s top plays below:

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