Things just got a little more real for the seven players drafted by the Cowboys last weekend. As rookie minicamp got underway on Friday, the newest Cowboys were assigned jersey numbers by their new employer as one of the first orders of business.
Players often want to stick with the numbers they wore in college, but being the new guy in the locker room generally means taking whatever happens to be available. That can mean adopting a number that may look a little odd… but it also means a chance to build a legacy all your own.
Jersey numbers are always subject to change before the start of the regular season, but according to the official team website, here’s what digits the drafted rookies will be rocking as they begin their Dallas Cowboy journeys.
DB Caleb Downs: No. 18
The team’s highest pick and prospective savior of the defense will wear a number that’s seen plenty of action on both sides of the ball. Defensive talents like Damontae Kazee and Damone Clark have sported No. 18 for Dallas, but so have Randall Cobb, Bernie Kosar, Jalen Tolbert, and Chris Boniol. Downs wore No. 2 with Ohio State, but that single-digit jersey was given to new cornerback Cobie Durant after Juanyeh Thomas wore it last season.
OLB Malachi Lawrence: No. 57
The No. 57 jersey has been passed down through a lot of Cowboys linebackers in recent years: Jack Sanborn, Buddy Johnson, Rashaan Evans, and Luke Giffoird are just the last four. Officially listed as an outside linebacker now, Lawrence will look to make it his own for a much longer stretch as he moves on from the No. 51 he wore at Central Florida, even though, perhaps curiously, that number appears to be available.
LB Jaishawn Barham: No. 55
Also listed as a linebacker to fit with how he’ll be deployed, Barham will inherit the No. 55 jersey, which has a fair bit of history behind it in Dallas. Logan Wilson and Carl Lawson didn’t last long in the double-nickels, but Leighton Vander Esch spent six storied years with the combo. And long before him, Ring of Honor member Lee Roy Jordan made No. 55 a feared number for opponents trying to come over the middle of the field against the Cowboys.
OT Drew Shelton: No. 67
The first of the team’s fourth-round draft picks will jump one jersey number as he moves from Happy Valley to Frisco. Shelton will take over the No. 67 jersey most recently worn by Brock Hoffman. Nate Newton, Pat Donovan, and Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright have all worn the number on past Cowboys offensive lines.
CB Devin Moore: No. 29
Moore also climbs one digit from the number he wore in college. Now wearing No. 29, he’ll join former Cowboys Kenneth Gant, DeMarco Murray, and C.J. Goodwin, who wore it for his entire eight-year tenure in Dallas.
DL LT Overton: No. 99
Overton stays in a double-digit jersey as he had at Alabama, but it’s at the other end of the keyboard now. Perrrion Winfrey had No. 99 last year, and Chauncey Golston wore it prior to that. Past Cowboys to don No. 99 include Antwaun Woods, Chris Canty, and Hurvin McCormack.
WR Anthony Smith: No. 83
The seventh-round East Carolina product steps into the No. 83 jersey, which has seen a decent roster of talented pass-catchers over the years. Jalen Brooks, Terrance Williams, Terry Glenn, Kelvin Martin, and Golden Richards have all worn that same jersey for previous Cowboys squads.
Todd is on X at @ToddBrock24f7. Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: New Jersey Drive: Caleb Downs, Cowboys draft picks get numbers from 18-99
Reporting by Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
