Why Dak Prescott deserves his high NFL Top 100 ranking
By Carl Daley
Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott just made his first appearance on the NFL Top 100 list. His peers obviously think highly of him, and here’s why.
The Dallas Cowboys will likely be looking to make a deeper run into the playoffs now that they have the framework for a versatile defense to compliment their explosive offense led by none other than starting quarterback Dak Prescott.
The NFL Top 100 is arguably one of the most talked about offseason lists among NFL fans and players. While it may not be an exact science, it gives a pretty good sense of just how much a player is respected amongst his peers.
This is not a list that takes into account things like legacy, Super Bowl titles, or anything else of that sort. It simply is a compilation of the opinions of a bunch of players from around the league.
Earlier this week it was revealed Prescott was ranked 14th overall on the NFL Top 100 list.
With all of that said, Prescott is incredibly worthy of such a high spot on the list. He had a fantastic 2016 season, that is just a fact. In reality, that season could be the best performance by any rookie quarterback, ever.
Detractors will say his success is attributed to Cowboys star running back, Ezekiel Elliott and the team’s offensive line. But if that is the case, where was this in 2015? The whole notion that anyone could have success as the signal caller of the Dallas Cowboys is an incredibly ridiculous fallacy.
Plus this has already been disproven as plenty of other quarterbacks have failed where Dak has excelled. His jersey is already in the NFL Hall of Fame and people are seriously wondering why he is the fifth highest ranked quarterback in the NFL?
For those arguing that Cam Newton or Drew Brees should have been ranked higher let me ask you this, did their teams even make the playoffs? Now the Cowboys did not just make the playoffs all on Dak’s shoulders, and Brees and Newton did not miss the playoffs because of their performance but still, it plays a factor.
This is also a list about the 2016 NFL season and really nothing else, so it is fitting the Rookie of the Year has a high place on the list. Is Dak closer to being inducted into the Hall of Fame than Drew Brees, obviously not, but did he have a better 2016?
Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints):
471/673 attempts, 70.0 completion percentage, 42.1 attempts per game, 5,208 passing yards, 7.7 yards per completion, 325.5 passing yards per game, 37 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, QBR of 101.7
Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys):
311/459 attempts, 67.8 completion percentage, 28.7 attempts per game, 3,667 passing yards, 8.0 yards per completion, 229.2 passing yards per game, 23 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, QBR of 104.9, Rushing: 57 attempts, 282 rushing yards, 4.9 yards per carry, 6 touchdowns,
Next: Which Dallas Cowboys rookie will make the biggest impact?
In total quarterback effectiveness, Prescott has the edge in the 2016 season there is just no other way to look at it. Players like J.J. Watt and Adrian Peterson were put on the list out of respect by their fellow players, Dak earned his position with an amazing rookie campaign that put him in the record books.