'Extremely Dangerous!' Osa Odighizuwa Making 'The Leap' to Dallas Cowboys Stardom?

The Dallas Cowboys defense has kept itself afloat despite injuries through the development of young players, perhaps none more so than Osa Odighizuwa.

The 2023 Dallas Cowboys were supposed to watch a young defensive tackle blossom alongside veteran stars. Entering the year, first-round pick Mazi Smith would have been the odds-on favorite to fill that spot.

In short, Smith hasn’t been the impact player Dallas drafted him to be—at least not yet. Instead, Dallas has received consistent production on the interior from third-year tackle Osa Odighizuwa.

Simply put, he’s making the leap.

Odighizuwa helps bring down former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady / © Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

In Dallas’ thrilling 20-17 win against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6, Odighizua had what could very well be considered the best game of his young career. His elite 92.1 grade from Pro Football Focus earned him PFF Defensive Player of the Week honors, alongside Cowboys edge rushers Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence, and linebacker Markquese Bell.

In total, he was credited with five hurries and seven tackles in the win.

Monday’s performance may have earned the most recognition of Odighizuwa’s season, but it wasn’t a flash in the pan. He’s been a game-wrecker up the middle for Dallas all season. He ranks 46th in pass rush snaps, but 11th in hurries (and 14th in total pressures). His 18.5% pass rush win rate makes him the meat in a Javon Hargrave-Quinnen Williams sandwich.

If that wasn’t enough, PFF has graded him as the fifth-best run defender at the position, too.

Odighizuwa is more than just a PFF darling. He’s been a cog to the Cowboys’ pass rush synergy, collapsing pockets and pushing opposing quarterbacks into the paths of Parsons and Lawrence, who are each enjoying spectacular seasons in their own right.

Earlier in the year, he spoke about being part of a dominant pass rush.

“Extremely dangerous. We know that, and that’s the fun part,” Odighizuwa said. “People like to run the ball, so that’s something we worked on in the offseason. Being able to win on first and second down … and do what we love to do, so what we’re good at, it’s a lot of fun.”

Dallas has witnessed its 2021 third-round pick develop from a liability to a one-dimensional piece, and now, a full-fledged star. A defense that so sorely needed its pass rush to continue producing as it sustained injuries in the back seven can put stock in its linchpin hovering over the B gap.

Odighizuwa has arrived, and it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the football world begins to notice.