Dallas Cowboys receivers at the mercy of Dak Prescott
One area Dallas Cowboys third-year quarterback Dak Prescott must improve is in his accuracy. His development should allow this receiver corps to shine.
2016 was when things really changed for the Dallas Cowboys. That was the year America’s Team found the future NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year late in the fourth round of the draft. That player being Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott.
And what made his historic rise even more epic is how improbable it started. Prescott should have never seen the field his rookie season. It can be argued that the moment he was drafted, Dak was the fourth quarterback on the depth chart in Dallas.
Coming off an injury-plagued 2015, veteran starting quarterback Tony Romo was primed to recapture the success that alluded him the season before, resulting in the Cowboys ended the year with a disappointing 4-12 record. Due to two separate collarbone injuries, Romo was only able to play in four contests that season, winning three of them.
Fortunately, the Cowboys’ poor record allowed them to select Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. Paired with Romo under center, and an offensive line full of former first rounders, Dallas was expected to catapult themselves back into playoff relevance quickly.
The selection of Prescott was simply seen as insurance. The Cowboys already had Kellen Moore and Jameill Showers backing up Romo entering the offseason. And early on it appeared Showers, who would later shift to safety, was actually playing better than Prescott in OTA’s.
Prescott has historically been a mediocre practice player. That’s not to say he doesn’t give a full effort or isn’t dedicated to improving. It’s more a comment about Dak being a “gamer”. Someone who seems to rise to the occasion when the games actually matter.
It isn’t uncommon for onlookers to notice Prescott can be inaccurate during these practice sessions. Especially during rookie season. It was for this reason many in the local media questioned whether Prescott was ready for anything more than a developmental, third-string role in Dallas.
Then an improbable series of event would take place that created an opening for Prescott to take the main job under center for the league’s most popular franchise. First, Moore broke his right leg during practice, sidelining him for the season. Then, Romo suffered a back injury during a preseason matchup. By then, Prescott had leapfrogged Showers on the depth chart.
Although the Cowboys would bring in veteran quarterback Mark Sanchez, Dallas rolled the dice on Prescott as their starter. And the rest, as they say, is history. The Cowboys would go on to post a an incredible 13-3 record with two rookies in the offensive backfield, including an 11-game winning streak and earn themselves a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Although his second season in Dallas was far less successful, the “sophomore slump” Prescott experienced had more to do with the lack of talent around him at times rather than being a stunt in his development.
But in this third-year, Prescott faces an even bigger challenge. The 24-year old must prove he can still foster an effective passing offense without his top two targets from last season, wide receiver Dez Bryant and tight end Jason Witten.
In their place, the Cowboys have flooded their receiver corps with several new faces. In the offseason, Dallas added veteran wide receivers Allen Hurns, Deonte Thompson and Tavon Austin to this roster. Then they drafted Colorado State’s Michael Gallop in the third round and Boise State’s Cedrick Wilson Jr. in the sixth.
This new group has been added to a depth chart that already included team veterans like Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley and Noah Brown. Throw in wildcards like K.D. Cannon and Lance Lenior and this bloated 90-man roster is booming with receiver talent.
But as much as Cowboy fans are hoping a few of these receivers emerge from the pack this summer, they are all at the mercy of Prescott’s development. In his third season, Dak has vowed to improve every part of his game. But his accuracy has been the biggest point of contention.
During his rookie season, Prescott posted an impressive 67.8 completion percentage. That was the fourth highest in the NFL that year, one spot above New England Patroits quarterback Tom Brady (67.4%).
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In Year Two, that percentage dropped to a disappointing 62.9, ranking Prescott 13th in the NFL. Clearly, Dak has some work to do. And how much he is able to improve this offseason will, in large part, determine just how successful this new wide receiver corps in Dallas can be in 2018.