National Football League

The New 88

Updated Jul. 17, 2020 7:41 p.m. ET

Dallas might have 88 problems, but CeeDee Lamb ain't one.

With the 17th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys struck gold, selecting the No. 1 receiver on their board, Oklahoma's CeeDee Lamb.

Lamb was projected as a high first round pick and most draft experts thought he would be the second wide receiver off the board after Alabama's Jerry Jeudy. Joel Klatt predicted that the Las Vegas Raiders would take Lamb at No. 12 and Mel Kiper Jr. thought the Denver Broncos would snatch Lamb up at No. 15.

However, the Raiders somewhat surprisingly picked Henry Ruggs III at No. 12 and the Broncos picked Jeudy at No. 15, leaving Lamb available for the Cowboys.

During his three years at Oklahoma, Lamb was a star.

As a freshman, he caught 46 passes for 807 yards and 7 touchdowns in 13 games. As a sophomore, he caught 65 balls for 1,158 yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games. Then, in his junior year, he caught 62 passes for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns in 13 games.

He was named a consensus All-American, as well as First-Team All-Big 12 in 2019.

So, when the draft concluded last weekend, there was only one thing left to figure out about Lamb's arrival in Big D: what number will the young star wear?

It only took a few days to get our answer.

Lamb will don No. 88, the most famous number in Cowboys franchise history.

Only three wide receivers before him have worn the number: Drew Pearson, Michael Irvin and most recently, Dez Bryant.

Pearson played for the Cowboys from 1973-1983, and was a member of the Super Bowl XII team in 1978. He was a 3-time Pro Bowler and 3-time First-Team All-Pro selection. He is also a member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor.

Remember this?

Legendary.

Following Pearson, Michael Irvin landed in Dallas from 1988-1999.

Irvin – better known as "The Playmaker" – won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys, was a 5-time Pro Bowler and was named First-Team All-Pro once. He is also a member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, and in 2007, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

And succeeding Irvin was Dez Bryant, who played in Dallas from 2010-2017, where he was a 3-time Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro selection once.

Now, the No. 88 lands with Lamb – but not everyone is on board with him donning it, including Stephen A. Smith, who thinks the uniform should be reserved for bonafide No. 1 receivers.

"I don't like it in this particular situation ... It's a privilege to wear that number. Why is everybody just getting to wear the number all willy-nilly? ... And if Amari Cooper is going to be the No. 1 receiver, it's going to be years before CeeDee Lamb is going to be the No. 1 receiver. Drew Pearson was a No. 1. Michael Irvin was a No. 1. Dez Bryant was a No. 1 ... There's a question mark as to if [CeeDee Lamb] will be the No. 1."

Cooper has made the Pro Bowl four times during his five-year career, and in March, he signed a 5-year, $100 million extension with the Cowboys. In 16 games last season, he caught 79 passes for 1,189 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Former Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears agrees with Smith, saying that the No. 88 is more than just a number – it comes with the responsibility of being great.

"Does he deserve it? We don't know. To be determined ... It's usually the No. 1 receiver that wears 88. That's what it's synonymous with in Dallas. For as great as Drew Pearson was and as great as Dez Bryant was, 88 is Michael Irvin's number ... The number belongs to the dude that did the most work in the number ... So, with that number comes a large responsibility ... CeeDee Lamb being No. 88 creates pressure for the kid."

However, there are those that campaigned for Lamb to wear the number, including the Cowboys owner.

Bryant is also on board.

Skip Bayless, a long-time Cowboys and Oklahoma Sooners fan, was ecstatic about Lamb landing in Dallas, and he believes that Lamb will emerge as the No. 1 option at receiver.

"I was in awe of what [Lamb] did for my Oklahoma Sooners because you just couldn't stop him ... CeeDee is no lamb after the catch. He is a lion ... He's a stud. He's a Pro Bowler ... I think CeeDee will quickly be better than Amari Cooper."

Even Irvin himself is excited about Lamb rocking the 88, labeling him a "true-bred."

In fact, Irvin called Smith to discuss Lamb wearing No. 88, saying that the Cowboys can have more than one alpha receiver.

"I love this kid. I ain't talking about, 'I like this kid.' I love this kid ... This is what the league is now. We are moving into a time where teams have two No. 1 receivers ... Amari Cooper is a No. 1. CeeDee Lamb is most definitely a No. 1 ... Lamb is a combination of all the 88s."

Whether Lamb lives up to Michael Irvin's Hall of Fame standards is yet to be seen, but what we can see is that Dallas has added another explosive piece on the outside.

Dance on, Cowboys fans.

Dance on.