Dallas Cowboys: Top 5 players heading into the 2020 season

Here are the top five Dallas Cowboys heading into the 2020 season.

1. Zack Martin, OG – The best player on the Dallas Cowboys heading into the 2020 season is offensive guard Zack Martin. Zack Martin has been the most reliable and efficient member of the Cowboys since being drafted in 2014.

Since 2014, Martin has made the Pro Bowl every single year of his career, as well as four First-Team All-Pro Selections. According to Pro Football Focus, on 630 pass-blocking snaps in 2019, Martin allowed a whopping zero sacks. He’s as good as it gets on the offensive line.

2. Ezekiel Elliott, RB – Running back Ezekiel Elliott comes into every season with high expectations. He has established himself as one of the best running backs in the NFL, always in the conversation to lead the league in rushing yards. Although he did not lead the league in rushing yards in 2019, he had a very good season nonetheless.

In 2019, Elliott rushed for 1,357 yards and 12 touchdowns on 301 carries. He also added 420 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns on 54 receptions. While quarterback Dak Prescott took a great leap in his passing stats in 2019, the team still feeds off of Elliott as their workhorse.

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3. Dak Prescott, QB – Coming into the 2019 season on his contract year, quarterback Dak Prescott had pressure to earn a big-time contract extension. While the team underperformed with an 8-8 record, Prescott had the best statistical season of his career.

In 2019, Prescott threw for 4,902 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions on a 65.1 completion percentage. Prescott will hope to build off his staggering leap as an individual player, and take a leap as a team in the 2020 season.

4. Amari Cooper, WR – After an explosive second half to the 2018 season, wide receiver Amari Cooper had high expectations for the 2019 season. Cooper’s first full season in Dallas was impressive. He racked up 1,189 receiving yards and 8 receiving touchdowns on 79 receptions.

While some people may have expected even greater numbers from Cooper, he battled nagging injuries throughout the season and still managed to start all 16 games. After just signing his five-year contract with the Cowboys this offseason, Cooper plans to continue to build his chemistry with Dak Prescott.

The Dallas Cowboys lone defensive player on this list is …

5.  Jaylon Smith, LB – With linebacker Leighton Vander Esch only playing nine games for the Cowboys in 2019, linebacker Jaylon Smith had to step up for the defense throughout the season. Although the defense was inconsistent throughout the season, Smith had a good year, making his first career Pro Bowl.

Smith had 142 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and 2.5 sacks. With a new and more aggressive defensive coordinator in 2020, Smith will hope to utilize his skill set, having another great season for the Cowboys.