Did the Cowboys steal the best linebacker of the 2022 NFL Draft?

This Dallas Cowboys front office has been in the business of taking risks over the years on players many have reservations about taking in the draft, specifically players with off-field character concerns or injuries. The most notable picks before this 2022 NFL Draft would have to be Jaylon Smith (knee), Ronald Leary (knee), Bruce Carter (knee), and Sean Lee (knee).

The newest member of this group is another linebacker in LSU’s Damone Clark. Clark is actually known to have incredible character off-field. And, instead of a knee injury, the LSU Tiger is currently recovering from spinal fusion surgery for a herniated disc that had him tumbling down the draft boards after his impressive NFL Combine performance.

That tumble and loss of confidence in his recovery turned out to benefit the Cowboys as they were able to take Clark with the 176th overall pick. Some Dallas fans probably hoped the Cowboys would take Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Nakobe Dean when he started to fall down the draft boards due to injury concerns, but the front office decided against it.

Dean would go on to be taken by the Philadelphia Eagles 83rd overall in the third round. However, even though Dean is often viewed as the steal of the draft, Clark should be looked at as a steal as well. Looking at his overall stats, you will see that the Cowboys were able to get a player whose play on the field is comparable to linebackers taken in the second and even first round of this year’s draft class.

To prove this, I’ll compare Clark to two of the best linebackers in the draft, both of whom got selected in the first round. You may find that Clark is actually a much better value than the Cowboys are getting credit for.

Comparing linebackers Damone Clark and Quay Walker to prove that Clark was a steal for the Cowboys

Quay Walker College Stats:

37 career games, 137 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 3 passes defended

Damone Clark College Stats:

37 games, 249 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 1 interception, 4 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles

Both Clark and Walker have played the same amount of games, but Clark was actually the more productive of the two linebackers in both defending the run and pass. The two both played in the toughest collegiate conference, and while you can argue that Walker had more playmakers on his side of the football, you can’t overlook the fact that Clark was a tackling machine at LSU. Clark’s stats alone would warrant a first or second-round selection in most people’s eyes. If that’s not enough, then here’s another set of numbers for you to take a look at.

Comparing Damone Clark and Devin Lloyd’s bodies and NFL Combine numbers

Height: 6’3″  Weight 237 lbs

33″ arms, 80 1/4 wingspan, 4.6-second 40-yard dash, 1.58 10-yard split

Height: 6’2″ Weight: 239 lbs

33″ arms, 78 1/2 wingspan, 4.5-second 40-yard dash, 1.55 10-yard split

The first set of numbers belongs to the consensus top linebacker in the 2022 draft class: Devin Lloyd. The second set is the Cowboys’ very own Damone Clark. These numbers give a bit of insight into just how explosive of a player Clark is when he is healthy. His numbers are pretty even with the top linebacker in the draft. If you put these numbers side by side, teams might have taken Clark over Lloyd if it weren’t for the surgery.  The new Cowboy is also significantly bigger than Dean who also fell down draft boards due to smaller size (in addition to injury concerns).

Overall, these comparisons to the two of the top linebackers taken in the draft show that the Cowboys waiting until the fifth round to get this LSU star may have just drafted the biggest steal of this draft. Once healthy, he can be paired with two quick sideline to sideline linebackers in Micah Parsons and Jabril Cox. When that happens, it’ll be a sight be behold.