The 10 best running backs in the history of the Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are America's Team for a reason. They have had some of the most recognizable players in NFL history in every decade of their existence. One of the positions that has produced some great players is the running back position.

When it comes to deciding on the 10 best in team history, the cream of the crop is easy to pick out but the bottom end is a bit tricky. The names at the top of this list will be Hall of Famers, but others on this list only spent a part of their careers with the Cowboys. Still all 10 of these players are names most fans are familiar with.

Criteria for selection

Rushing statistics will carry the most weight in this ranking, but it won't be the only variable. Rushing yards and touchdowns have tremendous value, but team success is just as paramount, especially for RBs from previous generations.

Individual accolades such as Pro Bowls, All-Pros and player awards will also influence the final ranking. Longevity and iconic/memorable moments also were taken into consideration.

The top 10 running backs in Dallas Cowboys history:

10. Marion Barber

Marion "The Barbarian" as most liked to call him became the main back for this team in the mid to late 2000s. The Cowboys drafted Barber in the fifth round in 2005 looking for another running back to compliment emerging Julius Jones. Barber did just that from his rookie year through 2007.

He actually earned a Pro Bowl nod that season and next year became the starter at running back after Jones left for Seattle. He played his last season in Dallas in 2010 after piling up 4,358 rushing yards and 47 touchdowns during his career as a Cowboy. Sadly, Barber passed away in June 2022 at his home in Frisco, but fans of the early 2000s and 2010s will remember his legacy as a true power back for this team.

9. Duane Thomas

His career as a Cowboy was short but Thomas was the starting running back on Dallas' first Super Bowl team in 1971. After a contract dispute with owner Tex Schramm following his rookie season, Thomas was actually traded to New England but returned before the start of the 1971 season. Good thing he came back because he was a big part of the team's first championship run.

He led the league in rushing touchdowns that season and was named All-Pro. He had a big performance in Super Bowl VI with 95 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Dallas' ground attack helped them secure a 24-3 win over Miami for their first championship. Unfortunately, Thomas was traded to San Diego the following offseason but he will always be remembered for helping turn Dallas into a championship team in the early 1970s.

8. Calvin Hill

Hill arrived in Dallas in 1969 as the team's first round pick. Back then Dallas was still being called "Next Year's Champions". Along with Thomas and Walt Garrison, Hill became the final piece of one of the best forgotten running back rooms in football history.

After rushing for 942 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie, Hill received Rookie of the Year, All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. After Thomas was traded Hill became the first 1,000 yard rusher in franchise history. Hill would be a Cowboy through 1974 rushing for 5,009 career yards and 39 touchdowns during his time in Dallas. Hill might not have been flashy but he was a staple of the Cowboys' backfield in the early 1970s.

7. Hershel Walker

When Cowboy fans hear his name all they think about is "The Trade". Without Walker being traded to Minnesota in 1989, Dallas does not have three Super Bowl trophies. Walker was arguably one of the greatest athletes in football history and his time in Dallas showed how much of a playmaker he really was.

After leaving the USFL when it folded, Walker arrived in Dallas in 1986 and immediately became the focal point of the offense. Every time he touched the ball there was the possibility he could take it all the way. He scored 27 rushing touchdowns as a Cowboy and was a Pro Bowler in 1987 and 1988. He might not have won a championship in Dallas, but he brought championship hopes thanks to being traded for what became a boat load of draft picks that helped build the team in the 1990s.

6. DeMarco Murray

Statistically what Murray did in his time is Dallas could be put right up there with the great ones. Murray was the team's third round pick in 2011 and finally saw the field midway through his rookie season. After a breakout game against the Rams, Murray became the starter. That decision helped solidfy the team's ground attack for the next few seasons.

The former Oklahoma Sooner rushed for over 4,500 yards and 28 touchdowns as a Cowboy, his best season coming in 2014 when he led the league with 1,845 rushing yards. That year Murray fully became the final piece of the new "Triplets" along with Tony Romo and Dez Bryant. His performance helped carry Dallas to their first division title since 2009 and first playoff win in the Wild Card Round since that year.

Unfortunately, Murray left for the Eagles that offseason after not being resigned but his numbers during his short time in Dallas are right up there with the likes of Hall of Famers.

5. Ezekiel Elliott

It may seem high for Elliott to be on this list at fifth, but he currently ranks as the third leading rusher in team history. While Zeke's second stint in Dallas will write itself, the former Buckeye began writing his own legacy as a Cowboy as a rookie. Together with Dak Prescott, Elliott changed life is Dallas.

With Murray out, Dallas was looking for a new feature starter at running back and they found him at fourth overall in 2016. Elliott immediately made an impact, rushing for over 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns his rookie season. He only cracked the 1,000 yard mark once more in 2018 and since then his numbers have declined every year. What makes Elliott standout is how much of a fan favorite he is. It is not often Jerry Jones brings back a player the team cut just a year ago. With a limited role, the jury is still out on if Zeke can be a difference-maker in 2024 and beyond.

4. Daryl Johnston

Fullbacks are not like they used to be. Daryl "Moose" Johnston is arguably one of the greatest true fullbacks in NFL history. He might have only rushed for eight touchdowns in his career, but his blocking for Emmitt Smith is what lands him high on this list. Without Johnston, Smith is not in the Hall of Fame. He even acknowledged that during his speech in Canton.

While Johnston was never going to take carries away from Smith or other running backs on the 1990s teams, his impact was felt every game. Together with one of the best offensive lines in NFL history "The Great Wall of Dallas", the Cowboys bullied their way over everyone in their path to win three Super Bowls in four years. Johnston retired after the 1999 season due to a neck injury but his legacy remains strong in the minds of fans during the dynasty of the 1990s.

3. Don Perkins

The first great running back in Cowboys' history was Don Perkins. In an era that was all about the running game as opposed to outthrowing the opponent, Perkins was the perfect back for Tom Landry's offense. He arrived in Dallas in 1961 as a member of the team's first actual draft class and took over in the backfield.

He went to the Pro Bowl his first two years and was named All-Pro in 1962. While his role changed in 1965 to being a fullback, Perkins helped the Cowboys go from a losing team into a legitimate contender by the late 1960s. He retired after 1968 after rushing for over 6,000 career yards and 42 touchdowns. Perkins was also inducted into the Cowboys' Ring of Honor.

2. Tony Dorsett

Dorsett is arguably the greatest draft steal in team history. Some scouts were skeptical on if he could take the pounding of the NFL but Tom Landry wanted to take that chance. Not only did Dallas draft him second overall in 1977, but they gave Seattle four draft picks to go up and snag him. That showed how much Dallas wanted him to solidify their running game.

The move paid off as Dorsett rushed for over 1,000 yards and won Offensive Rookie of the Year. Not only that but the Cowboys won their second championship that year. Even while Dallas struggled to get past the NFC Championship game in the early 1980s, Dorsett was piling up Hall of Fame numbers.

He ranks second on the team's rushing leaders list with over 12,000 yards. His most notable run came against the Vikings in 1983 where he scored a 99-yard touchdown, an NFL record that was tied in 2018 by Derrick Henry. Still, Dorsett deserves to be recognized as the second-best back in franchise history. The championship in 1977 and success in the early 1980s do not happen without him.

1. Emmitt Smith

As Jerry Jones put it in 2002, "There's only one rushing leader and there's only one Emmitt Smith!" The NFL's all-time rushing leader has to be at the top of this list. Smith said his goal when he arrived as a rookie was to achieve that honor. Not only did he become the rushing leader, but he was one third of the famous "Triplets". Michael Irvin and Troy Aikman arrived in Dallas in the late 1980s, but this team could not even think about contention until Smith arrived in 1990.

Two years later Smith helped the Cowboys win their third Super Bowl and two more after that. What might stand out even more is he rushed for over 1,000 yards in every season he was a Cowboy other than his rookie year. In an era that saw the passing game pick up so much for offenses, Smith proved that a running back of his caliber can sometimes be the reason a team wins consistently.

Even in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Smith was still productive in his 30s. His final act came in 2002 when he passed Walter Peyton to become the league's all-time leading rusher. There is no doubt Smith deserves to be at the top of this list.

The 10 best running backs in Cowboys history by rushing yards: