Cowboys search for big-bodied NT lands $4.2M former Chargers pick
· Yahoo Sports
The Dallas Cowboys front office got clear marching orders from new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Moving over from Philadelphia and Denver before that, Parker was well versed in what it takes to assemble a strong secondary. And while Dallas made their biggest free agency and draft splashes at safety, they didn't ignore the defensive interior just because there was already star power there.
Among the new faces in the trenches is nose tackle Otito Ogbonnia. While the front is headlined by Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, and Parker has voiced his confidence in the latter's ability to anchor his 3-4 defense, Dallas was lacking a bonafide big-bodied nose tackle. The young veteran came over from a part-time role, missing a chunk of the 2025 season due to an elbow injury.
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Rundown
Position: Nose Tackle
Age: 25
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 320 pounds
Hometown: Houston, TX
High School: James E. Taylor (Katy, TX)
College: UCLA (College Highlights)
Draft: 2022 Fifth-round pick (No. 180)
Acquired: 2026 Free Agency
Contract: One-year contract (2026), $2.75 million
2026 Base Salary: $1.5 million, guaranteed, plus $750k roster bonuses
Career Earnings: $4.2 million (per Over The Cap)
Profile
Ogbonnia has started 20 of 41 career games through four seasons, including all 17 in 2024. He hasn't played more than nine games in a season outsdie of that. A run-stuffer only, he has 0.5 sacks across his career. His run defense grades from Pro Football Focus have risen each season, from 41.9 as a rookie to 56.3 in limited snaps in 2025.
The Cowboys have tried, unsuccessfully, to plug the hole at nose tackle for years. They got little snap usage out of last year's late-round pick Jay Toia, and quickly learned their 2022 first-round pick Mazi Smith was a mistake. With Clark penned in as the starter at the position, adding a bigger player with experience for those goal-line and short-yardage situations was imperative. If Ogbonnia can prove helpful in those scenarios, he could find a long-term home in Dallas.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys player profile No. 91 DT Otito Ogbonnia