Cowboys 2018 draft picks, Tavon Austin, & Jihad Ward all officially have jersey numbers

The tape has been watched, and the Dallas Cowboys officially drafted a rookie class.

New rookies mean new members of the team, and new members of the team mean new jersey numbers have been handed out. This is a very important subject.

Jersey numbers have to make sense. For that matter, jersey numbers should also look cool. There are certain numbers that look cooler and make more sense than others. It’s a science.

Some of these fit our “make sense and look cool” qualifications.

Leighton Vander Esch is wearing a solid number for a linebacker, and Michael Gallup joins a lot of Cowboys receivers wearing numbers in the teens (Cole Beasley, Allen Hurns, and obviously Cedrick Wilson).

Dalton Schultz could be charged with being a lot of things soon enough, but he’ll at least be wearing a solid number for it. What’s more, Dalton is joining Philadelphia’s Zach Ertz as a tight end from Stanford in the NFC East with that number.

There are a few issues here, though. For starters, Dorance Armstrong is wearing a very famous number. Did you know that #74 has only ever been worn in regular season action by one player in Dallas Cowboys history? That’s right. Bob Lilly’s number is all but officially retired, and it typically serves as a kiss of death for rookies (Joey Ivie purists sigh) because no one will be allowed to wear it.

Most numbers in the 70s and 90s are already taken though which is likely why Armstrong is wearing what he is. It’s a safe bet to say that he’ll change after training camp and the preseason when others become available.

Bo Scarbrough is a physical runner, and his number certainly invokes memories of HOFer Jerome Bettis. It doesn’t change that it’s gross, but hopefully we can get used to it.

Tavon Austin and Jihad Ward have new numbers, too

Dallas added players by ways other than the draft this weekend. They traded for Los Angeles’ Tavon Austin and Oakland’s Jihad Ward. They have new numbers as well.

Jihad Ward is somebody the Cowboys have liked, but his jersey number is a disgrace. He’s a defensive tackle rocking #51. It doesn’t make sense.

I know, I know, Randy White wore #54 as a defensive tackle. The thing is, he started his career as a linebacker, and that’s why he originally wore one of the best linebacker numbers possible. Defensive tackles, really any lineman, wearing a 50s number is wrong. I’m looking at you too, Connor Williams.

Jihad Ward was acquired by way of trading away Ryan Switzer. Part of the reason Dallas was able to do that was the previous acquisition of Tavon Austin. Tavon, well, he’s a savage in terms of his number.

Despite original reports that he was going to wear #18, Tavon is wearing #10 in Dallas. It’s the second Cowboys jersey by that number he’ll have in less than a year.

Life comes at you fast.