Michael Irvin Says CeeDee Lamb Is Better Than Him, Dez Bryant in History of Cowboys' No. 88 Jersey

Few numbers in the NFL have as storied of a history as No. 88 on the Dallas Cowboys, and one of the Hall of Famers who wore it believes CeeDee Lamb is the best player to ever don it.

"The 88 we got now is the most talented of us all," Michael Irvin said, per Dan Pompei of The Athletic. "Drew [Pearson] was all about big plays. Small body, but he could get across that middle. I was just going to bully you. You know, not fast, none of that. Dez [Bryant] was a beast playing basketball outside. But CeeDee Lamb has all of it. He has all of it."

It is high praise, but it is also hard to argue with Lamb's overall talent and production.

The 27-year-old's resume already includes five Pro Bowl selections and five different seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards in his six years. He led the league with 135 catches in 2023 when he was a First-Team All-Pro selection and figures to continue adding to his list of accomplishments for years to come given his age.

Lamb is already sixth in Cowboys history with 7,416 receiving yards and could pass Bryant (7,459) for fifth by the end of the 2026 season opener. Lamb will likely also pass Pearson (7,822) for fourth this season, although he has a ways to go to catch Irvin.

Irvin is second with 11,904 and behind only Jason Witten.

However, Irvin and Pearson both have something Lamb doesn't in a Super Bowl title.

Irvin won three of them, while Pearson helped lead the Cowboys to the Lombardi Trophy during the 1977 campaign. Lamb could end up passing all of them from a statistical perspective, but he likely won't be remembered quite as fondly among Dallas legends unless he too can take home a ring at some point in his career.

With an offense that also features Dak Prescott, George Pickens, Jake Ferguson and Javonte Williams, there is plenty of firepower surrounding Lamb that could put them in Super Bowl contention if the defense makes strides.

Delivering on that Super Bowl potential could be a game-changer in the debate over who is the best No. 88 in Dallas history.