Cowboys new $80 million investment ranked outside top 20 at his position by NFL execs

The Dallas Cowboys made it a 2025 offseason priority to retain one of their top and most important pieces on defense by signing defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to a four-year, $80 million contract extension. The move came as no surprise given the disruptor and the force that the former 2021 third-round pick has been since the beginning of his career.

While the former UCLA Bruin has been a key piece to the Cowboys’ interior defense, NFL front office personnel ranked the $80 million investment outside their top 20 defensive tackles heading into 2025, as he was the final name mentioned in a recent ESPN poll. Odighizuwa didn’t make the Top 10, nor honorable mention section, and was listed last (21st player named) in a non-alphabetical accounting of all players who received votes.

Over the past four seasons, Odighizuwa has racked up 172 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 28 tackles for loss, and 72 pressures. Last season, the 280-pound interior defender recorded a career-high 4.5 sacks and, from Week 9 to Week 18, recorded 42 pressures, the most by any DT during that span.

Still, the rankings indicate that not everyone is convinced of his status as one of the league’s elite. After all, it is a position filled with plenty of talent. The top 10, in particular, was headlined by perennial stars such as Chris Jones, Quinnen Williams, Jalen Carter, and Dexter Lawrence, with several other notable names also making the list.

However, for Dallas, the omission could be a sign that their highest-paid defensive lineman still has more to prove in the eyes of critics, particularly in run defense (something the whole unit struggled in), but graded a 50.8 by Pro Football Focus, despite a promising 78.0 as a pass rusher.

Regardless of his placement, the franchise made its commitment to its investment clear and expects continued growth heading into 2025. If their $80 million man builds on last year’s performance, he may not be off anyone’s radar for long.

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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys DT not included in ESPN’s top 20 rankings