Dallas Cowboys: Is Dak Prescott actually underrated?
By Nathan Jones
Mahomes has the most explosive player in the league, in wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Also, they have a freakish tight end, Travis Kelce, that can break open any game. Besides the skill players, the Chiefs own the sixth best pass-blocking offensive line with an efficiency grade of 87.9, per Pro Football Focus.
Now for the Los Angeles Rams. Quarterback Jared Goff has a top three running back, Todd Gurley. On the outside, the Rams have two good receivers in Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods. The Rams are dominant in the running game and have a pass-blocking efficiency of 86.0, 11th in the league, again per Pro Football Focus.
Both quarterbacks are mentored by two of the top five greatest minds in the NFL. Now let’s look at Prescott and his assets throughout his career.
In 2016, running back Ezekiel Elliott led the league in rushing behind the best offensive line in the league. Dez Bryant was actually playing rather well when he was on the field. And tight end Jason Witten was always a sure-handed option. And Prescott won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year!
In 2017, Elliott missed six games due to suspension. Bryant showed signs of rust all year, dropping balls left and right. And Witten was getting the last few miles out of the tank as he headed for retirement in the offseason. And Prescott did not play very well at all!
In 2018 (before the trade for wide receiver Amari Cooper), Prescott was throwing to Allen Hurns, Michael Gallup, and Cole Beasley. Elliott was not bad, but not playing at as his 2016 form. The offensive line was ranked as the 18th best in pass-blocking efficiency, graded at 85.7, per PFF.
Prescott forced everyone to plug “Best quarterbacks in 2019 NFL Draft” into their search browser. Since the Amari trade, he has a third-round pick, wide receiver Michael Gallup, as a second or third option, not his first. Cooper has become the legitimate go-to receiver for the Cowboys and is putting up insane numbers.
Elliott dragged his way right back into leading the league in rushing. The offensive line still struggles an dropped by 1.7 points in pass-blocking efficiency, per PFF. And Prescott is top five in passing yards and completion percentage. (minimum of 100 dropbacks).
The moral of the story is that quarterbacks rely on their players to be successful. In Prescott’s short three-year career, when he has weapons, he plays pretty well.