Best Dallas Cowboys player to wear No. 90 has the same story of the player he replaced

Welcome back to The Landry Hat's 100-piece series highlighting the best Dallas Cowboys players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.

Well, with the singles, teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s now all in the books, we've obviously got just one final group to go, and we've got a strong defensive player to kick things off here at No. 90, one who shares a very similar story to the player he was brought in to replace.

But before we break everything down, of course, let's first have a look at every player who's worn No. 90 for America's Team over the years.

Marvin Austin, DT
Jonathan Bullard, DE
Jadeveon Clowney, DE
Willis Crockett, LB
Everett Dawkins, DT
Byron Frisch, DE
Tony Hill, DE
DeMarcus Lawrence, DE
Eric Ogbogu, DE
Jay Ratliff, DT
Alonzo Spellman, DL
Oscar Sturgis, DE
Solomon Thomas, DE
Tyrus Wheat, DE

Just as choosing the winner for this slot, it was also easy to select the runner-up, with that honor going to nose tackle Jay Ratliff.

A seventh-round pick in 2005, the Auburn alum spent the first eight seasons of his 11-year career with the Cowboys, racking up 231 total tackles, 46 of which went for a loss, and 27.0 sacks, ultimately earning four trips to the Pro Bowl and one First-Team All-Pro selection before closing out his career with the Chicago Bears.

While Ratliff was a solid player, the clear call here at No. 90 is DeMarcus Lawrence.

DeMarcus Lawrence did a solid job in replacing DeMarcus Ware

A First-Team All-MWC selection at Boise State in both 2012 and 2013, Lawrence was taken by Dallas in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft with the 34th overall selection. Earlier that offseason, of course, the team had parted ways with the franchise's all-time sack leader, DeMarcus Ware, and the hope was that Lawrence could help fill the pass-rushing void left by Ware's departure.

But things didn't quite go as planned that first year, as Lawrence fractured his right foot during training camp and didn't make his debut until Week 9. And while he started seven games as a rookie, he failed to record a single sack.

Things changed in his second season, however, as the 6-foot-3, 255-pounder registered 8.0 sacks, but he was then limited to just 1.0 sack in nine games in his third year, as he missed the first four games of the 2016 campaign due to a suspension for amphetamine use and then the final three with a back injury.

But Lawrence came back strong in 2017, tallying a career-high 14.5 sacks, earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl, a Second-Team All-Pro selection, and a fourth-place finish in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. He followed up with another 10.5 sacks in 2018 to earn a second Pro Bowl selection.

He ultimately earned two more trips to the Pro Bowl while with the Cowboys, doing so in back-to-back seasons in 2022 and 2023, and when he left Dallas following the 2024 campaign to sign a lucrative contract with the Seattle Seahawks, he'd amassed 61.5 sacks, which currently stand as the 10th-most in franchise history.

Like Ware, despite all the individual success, Lawrence never advanced beyond the Divisional Round of the postseason while wearing a Dallas uniform. Ware, of course, signed with the Denver Broncos after his release and won a Super Bowl in his second season in the Mile High City.

And Lawrence didn't even wait that long, as he got himself a ring in his first season in Seattle, with the Seahawks winning Super Bowl 60.

And Lawrence can now add this title to his resume, as he's easily the best Cowboys player to wear No. 90. And you'll see Ware highlighted in this series soon enough.

Other Dallas Cowboys jersey honorees

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DeMarcus Lawrence did a solid job in replacing DeMarcus Ware

Other Dallas Cowboys jersey honorees

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