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Rugby player-turned DT joins Cowboys draft class, experts high on potential

Mazi Smith was a first-round draft pick just two years ago. Osa Odighizuwa signed a huge contract extension this offseason to remain in Dallas, and then the team signed veteran Solomon Thomas just a week later. But the Cowboys have decided they're not quite set at defensive tackle.

With the 217th pick in the 2025 NFL draft, the Cowboys selected Jay Toia from UCLA. This pick came to Dallas as part of the Joe Milton trade package.

At 340-plus pounds, Toia is a massive human, roughly the same size as second-season man Justin Rogers, who was a seventh-round draft pick himself out of Auburn last year.