Pair of 1970s Cowboys teammates to face Pittsburgh crowd, announce Dallas draft picks

Since leaving New York City and taking the show on the road in 2015, the NFL draft has become one of the league's top live events of the calendar year, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans to watch the next wave of college prospects begin their journeys at the pro level.

The hosting city's team, of course, always lends its own flavor- and very vocal fanbase- to the weekend. And that home-field advantage has, in recent years, prompted that team's sworn enemies to bring a little extra trash-talking juice to the proceedings.

This year, to help welcome the newest rookies to the fold, the Cowboys will call on two of their biggest stars from the storied Dallas-Pittsburgh rivalry of the 1970s. Hall of Famers Drew Pearson and Tony Dorsett are among the luminaries who will announce picks during Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2026 draft.

The NFL on Thursday released a list of legends and active players who will help announce selections.

During his 11-year tenure with the Cowboys, Pearson faced the Steelers in both Super Bowl X and Super Bowl XIII. But although the wide receiver- who himself went undrafted out of Tulsa in 1973- never beat the Steelers in five career meetings, don't expect the outspoken Pearson to take the Pittsburgh stage sheepishly. It was his epically-viral troll job at the 2017 draft in Philadelphia that helped kick-start the trend of hand-picked notables from league history riling up the crowd.

Pearson will, no doubt, have things to say to the black and gold faithful.

Dorsett, who tallied 96 rushing yards in the second of those Cowboys-Steelers Super Bowl classics, may get a somewhat warmer reception, as it will be a homecoming for the 72-year-old.

The running back grew up and was a high school phenom just outside Pittsburgh and then played four years for Pitt. Dorsett went on to win the Heisman Trophy and finish his Panthers career as college football's all-time rushing king, a record that would stand for over 20 years. The No. 2 overall pick by the Cowboys in 1977's draft, Dorsett was the first player in Pitt history to have his jersey retired; his name is even on a street sign just outside Acrisure Stadium, where both the Panthers and Steelers play and where many of next week's draft festivities will be held.