Dak Prescott: One of the NFL’s Most Accurate Deep Passers
Although Dallas Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott is not know for his deep passing game, according to NFL.com, he’s one of the most accurate passers deep, in tight windows.
The Dallas Cowboys won the lottery last offseason when they drafted Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott with their compensatory selection late in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Little did anyone know at the time that Prescott would preform so well, he’d usurp veteran quarterback Tony Romo as the starter under center of America’s Team in his first year. I’m sure no one imagined at the time that Romo himself would hold a press conference conceding the position to the 23-year old, but it happened.
Finishing the regular season with a QBR of 81.7, the third highest in the NFL, Prescott has been uncharacteristically efficient as a rookie. In fact, his completion percentage of 67.8 was the fourth best in the league as well. And most would credit that to Prescott’s conservative play style that is simply adverse to creating turnovers. The rookie gunslinger only threw four interceptions all season.
And honestly, with the best offensive line in football in front of him and the league’s leading rusher in fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott behind him, Prescott didn’t need to be much more than a game manager. That formula allowed the Cowboys to finish atop the NFC with a 13-3 record, earn a bye in the playoffs and home field advantage throughout.
But just because Prescott was smart with the football this season doesn’t mean he’s not effective deep. In fact, according to NFL.com, the former Bulldog was one of the most accurate passers deep in tight windows.
"“Dak Prescott was one of the best deep ball passers in tight windows. A whopping 39.5 percent of Dak Prescott’s passes that traveled further than 20 yards in the air went into tight coverage. The rookie’s 29.4 percent completion rate was the ninth-best mark on such throws and he never recorded an interception.” – Matt Harmon, NFL.com"
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Honestly, it’s scary to think what Dak Prescott will become as he matures in this Dallas Cowboys offense moving forward. If he’s this good already, Dak could certainly become one of the all-time greats. Remember, Prescott did an extremely rare thing this year. He actually improved moving from college to the pros. Just imagine what Dak will do in 2017.