Once the Dallas Cowboys invested in Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, Osa Odighizuwa became expendable in their eyes. Ahead of the San Francisco 49ers trading for a star interior pass rusher, there were reports of teams monitoring Odighizuwa for a trade.
On Wednesday, ESPN went through each team’s free agency, and in the Cowboys section, they mentioned how the 49ers originally offered a Day 3 pick, but had to up their offer:
One thing we heard: The 49ers initially thought the Cowboys were willing to trade Odighizuwa for monetary purposes and were offering a Day 3 pick in return. When they were informed the Cowboys were willing to keep Odighizuwa, the Niners gave up the No. 92 pick. As a result, the Cowboys added their first Day 2 pick.
The 49ers capitalized on the surplus at defensive tackle for the Cowboys. But did they get duped into thinking there were better offers out there?
From the report that teams were keeping an eye on Odighizuwa 24 hours before the deal, the Niners either offered a higher pick to ensure they got their guy or fell for a leak. Maybe. Maybe not. Are you buying this?
Regardless, for the caliber of player, the 49ers are in a far better situation heading into 2026 with Odighizuwa than they would have been with the prospect they selected at the end of the third round.
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