Dallas Cowboys pick former LSU linebacker Damone Clark in fifth round

Clark fell quite a bit after the surgery that will shut him down for his rookie season, but the Cowboys took a chance on him at No. 176.

It was a longer wait than [autotag]Damone Clark[/autotag] hoped for, but the former standout LSU linebacker finally heard his name called during Saturday’s Day 3.

Clark was taken with the 176th pick by the Dallas Cowboys at the 2022 NFL draft. He joins former LSU linebacker [autotag]Jabril Cox[/autotag], who Dallas selected in the fourth round last year.

After leading the SEC in tackles as a senior in 2021 and finishing second nationally in that category, Clark was largely projected as a Day 2 pick. However, he underwent spinal fusion surgery in March that will cause him to miss his entire rookie season. His stock dropped considerably as a result, seeing as he fell to the fifth round.

It’s disappointing that Clark’s surgery may have cost him a sizable amount of money, but Dallas saw his potential and was willing to take a chance on him in the late rounds. Though he won’t be available in Year 1, he’ll look to compete in 2023 in a linebacker group that currently features two talented players in Leighton Vander Esch and Micah Parsons.

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