As the Dallas Cowboys start expanding on their new defensive system under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, they are changing the positions of two players moving into 2026.
Marist Liufau will move from an off-ball linebacker position where he has played in his first two seasons in the NFL to an outside linebacker/edge rusher role that will put him in more pass-rushing scenarios in his third year. Donovan Ezeiruaku will move from defensive end where he played in his rookie year in 2025 to a similar outside linebacker/edge rusher role that will see him attack in pass rush situations from more of a standing stance.
The changes come as Parker implements a modern 3-4 system that will see more stand-up rushers attacking opposing offensive tackles rather than the standard hand-in-the-dirt defensive ends that the Cowboys have used for the better part of the last decade.
The moves were announced by Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer on Thursday during his media availability at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
“That kind of fits his strengths,” Schottenheimer said about Liufau. “He’s got length. He’s got long arms. He’s really good at disrupting the ball. So, we’d like to build some more depth there and find another guy or two.”
After being drafted in the third round of the 2024 draft, Liufau hasn’t quite found his footing with the Cowboys through two seasons. In 34 games, he’s started just 14 and has combined for 80 tackles and 2.5 sacks. As a senior at Notre Dame, Liufau accounted for 3.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss in a role that saw him attack the backfield more.
“He doesn’t have the great twitch, but he’s got the strength to knock guys back,” Schottenheimer said. “Again, the length is what jumps off the film. He was excited about that. We’ve talked to Marist about that, and he was excited about that. He can eat a little bit more to get his weight back up a little bit. He’s excited about that.”
The Cowboys are expecting Ezeiruaku to be able to maximize his athleticism more around the edge with the position change.
“I feel really, really good about [Ezeiruaku] and what he’s capable of,” Schottenheimer said. “You actually saw him do those things that we see. Remember, these outside linebackers for us, the first thing that they’re going to do is set the edge of the running game. Number two, they’re going to affect the quarterback. And then occasionally, they’ll drop [in coverage].”
“The really good ones, you don’t drop them very often, but you do it a little bit. What you want to see with guys like that, which we saw this year with Donovan, was when they drop, are they comfortable? Do they have movement skills? When you see them, do they look like a fish out of water? And all those answers for him are very, very positive.”