For the eighth time in history, the Cowboys used their first overall draft pick to select a LB. Of those, though, only five have gone in the first round.
Penn State graduate Micah Parsons is the first LB to come early to Dallas since 2018 when they selected Leighton Vander Esch.
In 2006 the bet was on Bobby Carpenter, the defensive back from Ohio State. A year earlier, in 2005, DeMarcus Ware was taken 11th overall in the first round, although his position has always been on the line.
In 2009 their first pick was Jason Williams, LB graduated from West Illinois, although he was taken in the third round, after not having picks in the first two.
Billy Cannon, a Texas A&M graduate, was the first player selected by the Cowboys in the 1984 Draft.
The tradition of taking LBs with their first pick was born in 1963 when they took Lee Roy Jordan (Albama), although it was already the sixth round when they had their first pick in that draft.