Once upon a time people from all across the internet would pick up their sword and debate the status/ranking/merits of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. This was equally true for his predecessor, Tony Romo. Wearing the Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Crown is not for the faint of heart.
Prescott is going on his eleventh season in the role which means there are a decade of arguments in the past. But whether it be the passage of time, or an acceptance of his place within NFL quarterback hierarchy,
those fiery debates don’t seem as intense as they once were.
NFL minds ranked Dak Prescott just outside the top 5
Recently ESPN has been releasing their rankings for each and every position group within football, an exercise that they began performing in recent history. The idea behind these rankings is that they are built off of ESPN’s sourcing of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts so that they are, in theory, assembled by people who know the state of the league best.
On Monday the worldwide leader released quarterback rankings and Prescott comes in at number six.
6. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 32 | Last year’s ranking: UnrankedPrescott was a fixture in the voting, appearing on nearly 75% of ballots with a healthy number of top-five votes. In fact, a gulf existed between him and the seventh spot on the list. This is long overdue for Prescott, who has mostly been a fringe top-10 QB on these lists.
“He’s a true, acute progression passer,” an NFL coordinator said. “There are only so many of those types. He can read the whole field, from pre- to post-snap. He’s just really a good commander of the offense.”
Prescott was plagued by interceptions (15) in 2022 and injuries (nine games missed) in 2024. But in his other recent seasons (2023 and 2025), his production was prolific, with 9,068 passing yards and 66 touchdown throws. His four seasons with 4,000 passing yards and 30 touchdown passes are tied for the sixth most of all time behind Drew Brees, Manning, Brady, Rodgers and Philip Rivers.
“I think he can use his athleticism even more and run for first downs,” said an AFC offensive coach, referring to Prescott’s modest 177 rushing yards last season. “That would give [the Cowboys] a new dimension.”
There’s not much to disagree with in that blurb. There is zero doubt that Dak has taken a serious step forward in recent seasons and has built upon the success that he began to experience as a passer starting in 2019. It is refreshing to see a national outlet give him credit for his ability to dissect defenses and carve them up. Different styles can all succeed, but Dak is a vintage quarterback in that sense.
Most Cowboys fans would like to see him run a bit more, like for first downs as noted above. That has always been a discussion point around Prescott.
The full list of the top 10 if you are curious:
- Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
- Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
- Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
- Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
- Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
- Drake Maye, New England Patriots
- Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
- Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Dak is the second-highest ranked NFC quarterback and trails only reigning MVP Matthew Stafford in that regard. He is the only ranked member of the NFC East, although both Jayden Daniels and Jalen Hurts were listed as honorable mentions. In fact the honorable mentions were primarily NFC quarterbacks as Sam Darnold, Jordan Love, Brock Purdy, Baker Mayfield, and Trevor Lawrence rounded the group out.
Ultimately, discussions with Prescott and the Cowboys in general turn back to one thing, though. Regular season performance, the compilation of impressive career statistics, and rankings like these are awesome. They just get a little more difficult to take year over year without playoff success of a serious variety.
Maybe this is the year. Who knows. Perhaps our overall vibe of agreement will carry us there.
Do you agree with this ranking of Dak relative to all NFL quarterbacks? Why or why not?
Let us know in the comments below.
