Cowboys award rookie jersey numbers, Lamb not on list

The Cowboys have doled out uniform numbers for whenever the rookies suit up, but CeeDee Lamb is undetermined, as is Ben DiNucci.

The Dallas Cowboys had themselves a day on Thursday. Then another on Friday. Then two days worth of days on Saturday. The 2020 NFL Draft was about as fun an offseason weekend as any Cowboys fan could have imagined. On Monday, work resumes. While the veteran players are in Week 2 of the offseason virtual learning program, the rookies will soon get some semblance of a minicamp dedicated to them.

If they were meeting in person, the jerseys they would wear would be a big deal, but we can still envision what things will be like when on-field football return. The club issued jersey numbers to six of their seven picks, but No. 17 overall CeeDee Lamb was not listed. That’s because he and the club can’t agree. Lamb said after the draft he wants to wear No. 10. Jerry Jones wants him to don the king’s cloak, No. 88.

88 is the jersey number of the chosen one; the wide receiver anointed as the franchise cross bearer. Drew Pearson was the original 88 and is in the Ring of Honor. That legacy was turned over to Michael Irvin who forged a Hall of Fame career while wearing it.

During a down time for the franchise the club tried to put it on second-round pick Antonio Bryant, but he was just getting the printing press ready for the last first-round receiver Dallas drafted before this year, Dez Bryant.  Bryant is the club’s all-time touchdown reception leader.

Who will win out? To be determined.

As for the rest of the draft class here’s how they will go.

2.51: CB Trevon Diggs – Jersey No. 31

Recently vacated by 2015 first-round pick Byron Jones who is now in Miami as a free agent. Diggs is assuming the role of the future No. 1 cornerback, and that future could be as early as this season. 31 has also been worn by long-time corner Benny Barnes during the 70s and of course by 2002 first-round pick safety Roy Williams.

3.82: DT Neville Gallimore – Jersey No. 75

Gallimore takes the jersey over from released swing tackle Cam Fleming. It’s one that goes back and forth between linemen. The most famous recent wearer was probably former right tackle and former offensive line coach Marc Colombo. Jethro Pugh, 14-year veteran defensive tackle who was a two-time second-team All-Pro is a great No. 75 for Gallimore to try and emulate.

4.123: CB Reggie Robinson II – Jersey No. 41

If the uber-athletic Robinson can come close to the career of Terence Newman, Dallas fans are going to go bonkers. It’s a jersey number with plenty of significance in Cowboys lore as it was also sported by safety Charlie Waters,

4.146: OC Tyler Biadasz – Jersey No. 63

Defensive end Larry Cole wore No. 63 during his 13-year career with the Cowboys. Most recently offensive guard Kyle Kosier did a solid job of representing the number well during the early days of the Tony Romo era.

5.179: DE Bradlee Anae – Jersey No. 51

Kerry Hyder wore No. 51 for the club in 2019, but there have been a handful of noteworthy bearers. Ken Norton, Jr. sported it in the late 80s and early 90s and did the number proud. Before that, center Dave Manders wore it for 11 seasons.

7.231: QB Ben DiNucci – Undetermined

The Cowboys don’t retire jersey numbers, but there’s a limited number of choices. The NFL only allows QBs to wear from 1 – 19, shared with kickers and punters, while wideouts can also wear from 10-19.

Here’s the group of numbers we know he’s not getting.

3 – K Kai Forbath (for now)
4 – Dak Prescott
6 – P Chris Jones (for now)
7 – Cooper Rush (for now)
8 – Troy Aikman
9 – Tony Romo
10 – CeeDee Lamb?
11 – Cedrick Wilson (for now)
12 – Roger Staubach
13 – Michael Gallup
15 – Devin Smith
19 – Amari Cooper

Cowboys Wire 2020 NFL Draft Coverage

Grading all 7 Cowboys 2020 draft picks | UDFA Tracker
QB Ben DiNucci | DE Bradlee Anae |  C Tyler Biadasz
CB Reggie Robinson | DT Neville Gallimore |  CB Trevon Diggs
WR CeeDee Lamb | Lamb jersey choice |  Lamb Gallery

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