NFL.com editors rank Dak Prescott outside the top ten QBs of 2019

Despite posting career-numbers for the Dallas Cowboys, four NFL.com editors have ranked Dak Prescott outside the top ten of league quarterbacks in 2019.

The news surrounding the Dallas Cowboys for the entire offseason so far has mainly concerned the future of a single player. That player being quarterback Dak Prescott. A pending free agent, determining Prescott’s value continues to be a hotly debated topic.

Both the Cowboys and Prescott’s representatives continue to negotiate a contract extension, a process that started last year. And that long wait has fostered much speculation among the media and fans alike.

Prescott posted career numbers in 2019. He threw for 4,902 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions completing 65.1 percent of his passes. His passing yards total was the second-highest in the NFL last season and his passing touchdowns ranked fourth.

Despite the lofty numbers, the Cowboys still underwhelmed last year posting a record of 8-8 and losing the NFC East crown due to a 17-9 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16. Prescott had his worst performance of the season when it counted most against the Birds, completing just 25 of his 44 passes (56.8) for 265 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions in the critical matchup.

That lack of team success has led experts at NFL.com to rank Prescott outside of the top ten in their recent QB Index, where they ranked every passer to start a game in 2019. Here’s what Tom Blair wrote after all four NFL.com experts ranked Prescott 11th overall …

"“Prescott was fantastic at times in the last year of his rookie contract, but the Cowboys missed the playoffs, and he’s now in danger of getting stuck in the Cousins Zone: good enough to pay a ton of money but dogged by lingering doubts over his ceiling.”"

Blair would go on to note Prescott is one of five NFL quarterbacks to have a passer rating of 95-plus in at least three of his first four seasons in the league since 1950.

Yet, that stat had little impact on Prescott being ranked lower on their QB Index than passers like the Philadelphia Eagles’ Carson Wentz, the Tennessee Titans’ Ryan Tannehill, the Minnesota Vikings’ Kirk Cousins, and the Detroit Lions’ Matthew Stafford. The latter only playing in eight games this past season due to back and hip injuries.

The more interesting part of this ranking might be the fact all four NFL.com editors were unanimous on their placement of Dak Prescott outside the top ten. And if that view is shared league-wide, what does that say about the Dallas Cowboys potentially preparing to make Prescott one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league? Agreeing on Dak’s value is surely one of the main reasons why a longterm deal has yet to be struck in Dallas.