Apr. 29—The Oklahoma State football program’s already extensive list of professional alumni grew longer on Saturday afternoon, when the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Cowboys defensive end Tyler Lacy with the 130th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Lacy finished his career in bright orange with 40 consecutive starts. His 44 career starts rank among the top 10 in school history, and his 22 career quarterback hurries were tied for second-most by any Cowboy ever.

His journey to Jacksonville started with a senior campaign that included being named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Then he showcased his talents at the Reese’s Senior Bowl before impressive at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

A native of Sachse, Texas, Lacy’s numbers from the combine gave him a total score that ranked fifth among all defensive ends. He posted a 40-yard dash of 5.11 seconds, a vertical jump of 28.5 inches and 30 reps on bench press.

At his size, and with his pass-rushing ability, Lacy should have an opportunity to make an immediate impact with the Jaguars, who won the AFC South in 2022 and won a playoff game for the first time since 2017. He’s versatile, something that will allow him to fill any void among a Jacksonville defense that recorded 28 sacks a season ago.

“Wherever they wanna put me, wherever I’m able to win games there, that’s where I wanna play,” Lacy said after OSU’s Pro Day on March 29. “I just wanna be on the field, playing — and especially bringing a Super Bowl to my next team.”

As a fourth-round selection, Lacy becomes the 36th draft pick of the Mike Gundy era. The Cowboys have now had at least one draftee in 19 of the past 21 years.

But he wasn’t the only.

After a longer-than-expected wait, former Cowboys safety Jason Taylor II was taken by the Los Angeles Rams with the 234th overall pick.

Taylor, a ball-hawking safety from Oklahoma City, became one of the best defensive backs in the Big 12 over the final two seasons of his time at OSU. His farewell tour in Stillwater that proved he was ready for the next step.

In 2022, Taylor finished with a team-best 99 tackles (80 solo) and six interceptions en route to being named First Team All-Big 12, a Walter Camp Second Team All-American and a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.

He intercepted highly touted Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers twice, including a game-sealing snag, during OSU’s win over the Longhorns at Boone Pickens Stadium. He put a dagger in Baylor a few weeks earlier with an acrobatic fourth-quarter interception on the sideline.

“He’s one of those guys we talk about,” Mike Gundy said that day in October. “He always ends up around the football — somehow. He’s very athletic.”

This entire process, one that culminated with receiving the call on Saturday afternoon, isn’t granted Taylor some miraculous revelation. He’s known he has what it takes to suit up on Sundays.

He knows how he’s gotten to this point, too, one that has him in a position to compete for a role in a Rams secondary that’s being rebuilt with youth. And those are the same things he’s hoping carries him the rest of the way.

“There are some things that, I feel like, that got me here — and some things that I do that have allowed me to be in this position,” Taylor said. I just kind of want to keep those things in mind: leadership, hard work, dedication. Don’t lose your hunger. So, those things I already knew about me; I wanna make sure that I keep them.”

Lacy and Taylor were eventually the only Cowboys to be selected, but they aren’t the only ones now on NFL rosters. Four Pokes landed somewhere throughout the evening, all of them signing as an undrafted free agent.

Braydon Johnson, WR — Buffalo Bills: It didn’t take long following the conclusion of the draft for Johnson to sign with the reigning AFC East champs. In the 6-foot wideout, Buffalo is getting a speedy pass catcher that can fill a void left by Isaiah McKenzie signing with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason.

During his time at OSU, Johnson played in 46 games with 24 starts, averaged 16.6 yards per catch and was the Cowboys’ third-leading receiver in each of the past four seasons. But speed is what the Bills were looking for, and that’s exactly what they’re getting in Johnson, who ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at OSU’s Pro Day.

Brock Martin, DE — Las Vegas Raiders: Martin will head to Las Vegas with an opportunity to learn from a pair of prolific pass rushers in Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby.

Martin’s appeal as a prospect, similar to Lacy, is his ability — and willingness to play multiple positions. It could be the very thing that helps him eventually be listed on the Raiders’ 53-man roster.

“It’s all about being the best at what you can be with what you’re given,” Martin said at OSU’s Pro Day. “Go just work your a— off, kick some a— and maybe get signed to the 53-man — or traded to another team because you’re so valuable on the practice squad.”

Tanner Brown, K — Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay and Co. were represented at OSU’s Pro Day, with a scout there to evaluate Brown’s kicking workouts.

Brown will have an opportunity to compete for the Rams’ starting job following the departure of Matt Gay, who left L.A. for Indianapolis this offseason. And should he continue to do what he did as a Cowboy — nailing 22 of 23 kicks and 42 of 42 extra points in 2022 — then he’s figured to be a top contender.

Matt Hembrough, LS — Arizona Cardinals: Hembrough sent a bunch of footage to teams during the pre-draft process. That’s the life of a long snapper, a position in which only two players are selected to attend the NFL Combine.

The Cardinals must’ve liked what they saw from an athletic specialist who was one of three finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, given to the country’s best long snapper.

Per his bio from OSU Athletics, Hembrough was perfect on more than 550 career snaps during his four years as the starter in Stillwater. Now, he’ll have a crack at keeping that streak going in the desert.

Lamont Bishop, LB — Seattle Seahawks: Bishop never thought he’d be in this position. Not yet, anyway. The 6-foot-2 linebacker was planning on returning to OSU for one more season. In January, the NCAA ruled that he had exhausted all of his eligibility.

A fter showing out and impressing the scouts at OSU’s Pro Day, behind his onfield workouts and a 40-yard dash time of 4.59 seconds, he’s headed to work with defensive mastermind Pete Carroll.