Position changes are never easy for NFL players, especially early in their careers. However, Dallas Cowboys defender Marist Liufau seems to embrace his new role.

Speaking to DLSS Sports on June 20, Liufau admitted that he was surprised when the Cowboys informed him that he was being moved. However, he also stated that he was excited about it.

“I wasn’t disappointed, but I was definitely surprised,” said Liufau. “Anytime you move positions, I feel like that’s a normal reaction. But at the end of the day, I was excited that I’d get to learn this new position and possibly try to contribute to the team in different ways.”

Liufau also explained how the position complements the way that he prefers to play and his physical attributes.

“I think it fits my skill set because I like to play fast, physical. I like contact. So, I mean, I think it all plays into the way I play and the strengths of my game,” said Liufau in the DLSS interview. “I feel really comfortable just doing that and learning the position.”

To successfully handle the physical demands of crashing the edge, the coaching staff, especially head coach Brian Schottenheimer and inside linebacker coach Scott Symons, has tasked Liufau with bulking up from his 239-pound frame to roughly the 250-pound mark before the summer concludes 

Liufau was the 87th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Liufau, who used to play as an inside linebacker, will now be playing the outside linebacker/ EDGE rusher position under Christian Parker’s 3-4 scheme. He is also said to be working in close tandem with the Cowboys’ new outside linebackers coach, Chidera Uzo-Diribe.

In his career, he has accumulated 54 tackles with 43 of them being solo, 2.5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles in 34 games, of which 14 were starts. 

The Cowboys will be happy to see Liufau already comfortable with the position and his new responsibilities. However, the Cowboys will want their second-year EDGE to step up.

Cowboys’ second-round edge touted for ‘sophomore breakout’

The Cowboys are not very deep in the cornerback position, and don’t have much depth in the middle linebacker position either.

However, their edge rusher position is arguably their biggest concern, especially their second-round pick, Donovan Ezeiruaku. He had just 2 sacks all season, while Jadeveon Clowney, who was brought in Week 4, ended up with 8.5 sacks in 13 games.

However, according to Sports Illustrated’s Justin Melo, Ezeiruaku will be one of the “Sophomore Breakouts” next season.

“The pass rush suffered without its star, recording just 35 sacks,” wrote Melo, referencing the loss of Micah Parsons. “Rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku was a mild contributor… Ezeriruaku flashed encouraging signs on tape, occasionally displaying the athleticism that made him such a pass-rushing threat at Boston College. He possesses all the traits required to enjoy a breakout season.”

The urgency for a sophomore jump is massive, as Dallas spent the entirety of the 2025 season struggling to replace the elite production of Micah Parsons, collapsing to an underwhelming team total of just 35 sacks. 

Ezeiruaku was also nursing a hip injury during the 2025 season, and he has now gotten hip labrum surgery. While this has kept him out of the OTAs and minicamp, according to Schottenheimer, he is on track to return for training camp.

Do you believe that Ezeiruaku can turn things around and break out this season? Let us know your opinion in the comments!

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi