Love them or hate them, the Dallas Cowboys are among the most storied franchises in the NFL. And while much of that story was written pre-Y2K, the current century has produced plenty of iconic Cowboys players.
They may not have had the postseason success to match it, but Dallas has been one of the winningest teams in the league since 2000. That status doesn't come without a long list of elite players behind it.
We set out to rank those players — the top 25 of them, at least — strictly taking their impact in the current century into account. Even players who spent the end of their careers in the early 2000s, like Emmitt Smith, were judged solely by their production and impact in 2000 and beyond.
Top 25 Dallas Cowboys players since 2000
25. Tyler Smith, LG
There's an argument to be made that Smith is the best player currently on the Cowboys' roster. He has spearheaded a new era of offensive line play in Dallas, carrying forward the legacy that Zack Martin and Tyron Smith left behind. Since entering the league in 2022, he has already made three Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team.
Few interior offensive linemen can kick out to tackle without missing a beat, but that's exactly what Smith has done when needed for the Cowboys. If Smith plays out the rest of his career in Dallas, he'll rise much higher on this list.
24. Miles Austin, WR
No, Austin was never an elite NFL wide receiver. But his late rise to stardom and iconic Cowboys moments earn him a spot on this list. In his first career start, four years into his career, he put up 250 yards and two touchdowns in an overtime win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
From that moment, the wideout became a hero in Dallas. Austin only had two 1,000-yard seasons with the Cowboys, but his explosive ability and late-game heroics will always be remembered.
23. Greg Ellis, DE
Ellis held onto a starting spot on the Cowboys' defensive line for 11 years, producing 77 sacks and over 500 total tackles. He played second fiddle to DeMarcus Ware for most of that stretch, but his own impact shouldn't be forgotten.
The defender started 155 games for the Cowboys, making him one of the franchise's longest-tenured players of the century.
22. Brandon Aubrey, K
Aubrey was the best kicker in football from the moment he laced up his cleats — his American football cleats, that is. The former soccer star has been at the forefront of the jaw-dropping increase in kicking range in recent years. He's one of the few kickers in the sport who could hit a kick from 70 yards out in the right circumstances.
Only three full years into his Cowboys career, Aubrey is a likely candidate to become the franchise's all-time scoring leader when all is said and done.
21. DeMarco Murray, RB
The peak was short-lived, but it was all-encompassing. Murray led the NFL in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and first downs in 2014. Between 2013 and 2014, he logged nearly 3,000 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground. He was the beneficiary of an elite offensive line, but the blocking in front of him can't diminish his own effectiveness.
However brief, the best of Murray's days with the Cowboys are enough to etch his name into the history of the franchise.
20. Sean Lee, LB
The individual accolades may not match up with some of the franchise's greats, as injuries limited many of his seasons, but Lee was the heart of the Cowboys' defense through most of the 2010s. From 2015 to 2017, the healthiest stretch of his career, the linebacker logged over 350 tackles, made two Pro Bowls, and earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2016.
When Lee and Leighton Vander Esch shared the field, as rare as it was, the Cowboys had one of the most dangerous linebacker duos in the sport.
19. Jay Ratliff, DT
The big nose tackle did much more than eat up space on the interior for the Cowboys in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Ratliff's combination of stout run defense, explosive pass-rushing ability, and an affinity for forcing fumbles made him a key fixture in those defenses.
A former seventh-round selection, Ratliff became one of the Cowboys' biggest draft hits of the century. He made four consecutive Pro Bowls and even earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2009.
18. Terence Newman
Cornerback is typically one of the most volatile positions in football, but Newman was the picture of consistency. He started 131 games for Dallas in the 2000s and the early 2010s, logging 32 interceptions and well over 100 pass deflections.
While he only made the Pro Bowl twice, Newman will go down as one of the most prominent Cowboys defenders of the last quarter-century.
17. Andre Gurode, C/G
Gurode manned center and guard spots for the Cowboys throughout the 2000s, starting 122 games for the silver and blue. Four of his nine seasons came at guard, but he was at his best after transitioning to center. Gurode made the Pro Bowl in each of his five seasons playing center for the Cowboys.
The Cowboys' offenses of the late 2000s were some of the most potent in the league, and while Romo gets most of the credit for those units, Gurode deserves his flowers.
16. La'Roi Glover, DT
While Glover enjoyed a more illustrious career than some of the players ranked above him on this list, his best years didn't come with a star on his helmet. Still, he made the Pro Bowl in each of his four seasons with the Cowboys and earned two second-team All-Pro spots.
He was an anchor on the interior of the defensive line and a consistent disruptor in the backfield. He helped give Dallas a stifling run defense and logged double-digit tackles for loss in two of his four years with the squad.
15. Flozell Adams, OT
An iron man, if there ever was one, Adams started all 16 games for the Cowboys ten times in an eleven-year stretch. After transitioning from guard to tackle, he became the blindside protector for Tony Romo's early years.
Adams made five Pro Bowls and nabbed second-team All-Pro honors once, but his consistency was his best attribute. For over a decade, the Cowboys could rely on him for quality left tackle performances.
14. Roy Williams, S
From 2002 to 2007, Williams logged 19 interceptions, nine forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries, and over 500 tackles. After nearly winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2002, he made five consecutive Pro Bowls.
The safety's ability to force turnovers gave the Cowboys a chance to flip any game on its head. His play was chaotic at times, but Dallas was more than willing to look past his flaws for his game-changing tendencies.
13. DeMarcus Lawrence, DE
The Cowboys transitioned from one DeMarcus to another in 2014, drafting Lawrence just after DeMarcus Ware departed for Denver. While no player could have filled Ware's shoes, Lawrence carried the torch as the primary pass-rushing threat for years.
In 11 seasons in Dallas, Lawrence logged 61.5 sacks, nearly 500 tackles, and 97 tackles for loss. He made four Pro Bowls and an All-Pro team before heading to the Seattle Seahawks to get his Super Bowl ring.
12. Ezekiel Elliot, RB
It's always risky to draft a running back with a top-five pick, but Elliot immediately validated the Cowboys' decision in 2016. As a rookie, he earned first-team All-Pro honors and even finished third in MVP voting after racking up 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
Elliot wasn't able to carry that success throughout his career — he had just four seasons with 1,000 rushing yards — but he was the best running back in the NFL at his peak.
11. CeeDee Lamb, WR
After joining Elliot and Dak Prescott in 2020, Lamb completed the modern-day "triplets" for the Cowboys' offense. The shifty receiver out of Oklahoma developed into one of the most complete pass-catchers in the league and has maintained his elite status since his breakout 2021 season.
Lamb has made five consecutive Pro Bowls and enjoyed a three-year stretch on All-Pro teams from 2022 to 2024. At 27 years old, he doesn't show any signs of slowing down.
10. Travis Frederick, C
If not for an early retirement, Frederick could have gone down as the best center of the century. He made three consecutive All-Pro teams and five consecutive Pro Bowls, skipping the 2018 season that he missed due to a medical condition.
When the Cowboys drafted Frederick, the pick was criticized as an obvious reach. He proved his doubters terribly wrong, and he only took six seasons to do it.
9. Micah Parsons, DE
Parsons' Cowboys legacy may be marred by the blockbuster trade that sent him to the Green Bay Packers, but he was one of the league's most dominant players during his four-year stretch in Dallas. In that time, he logged 52.5 sacks, four Pro Bowls, and three All-Pro nominations, coming close to winning Defensive Player of the Year in just his second season.
The linebacker-turned-edge rusher became a force for the Cowboys immediately and turned a struggling defense into a force to be reckoned with.
8. Tony Romo, QB
Not only is Romo one of the greatest Cowboys players of all time, but he's also one of the best undrafted free agents to ever work his way into the league.
After taking over for Drew Bledsoe in 2006, he held down the Cowboys' starting quarterback job for nearly a decade, setting a franchise record for passing touchdowns that has since been broken by another QB on this list.
7. Dez Bryant, WR
Bryant is the epitome of the ball-winning "X" receiver that is becoming rarer and rarer in the modern NFL. If you throw on his career highlights, you'll see him making countless contested grabs. His 16 catches in 2014 earned him a first-team All-Pro selection and solidified him among the best wide receivers of the 2010s.
While Bryant might not have the individual accolades of the other players inside the top ten of this list, he's too memorable a player to rank much lower. And yes, he caught that ball in the playoffs against the Packers.
6. Dak Prescott, QB
Prescott's doubters can bring up his playoff record all they want. He's one of the most productive quarterbacks of the century and deserves his recognition on this list. Ten full seasons into his career, he has already broken franchise records and is on pace for more.
After falling to the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft and rising to stardom through a Romo injury, Prescott will go down as one of Jerry Jones' best draft picks. The best part? His Cowboys legacy is still being written.
5. Larry Allen, OL
Allen spent half of his Cowboys career in the 1990s, but even without considering those early years, he's one of the franchise's all-time greats. In the 2000s, the offensive lineman made six Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro twice. Those two All-Pro nominations came at the end of six consecutive years as a first-team All-Pro lineman.
He's one of the few members of the 1990s Super Bowl teams to make a meaningful impact for the franchise in the 2000s.
4. Tyron Smith, LT
While his final stretch in Dallas was hampered by injuries, Smith was a franchise cornerstone for a decade. He's a surefire Hall of Famer who protected Romo's and Prescott's blindsides while helping create some of the most efficient rushing attacks the league has seen.
Smith's seven consecutive Pro Bowls are tied for the fourth-longest streak in franchise history, and he made an All-Pro team in every season from 2013 to 2016.
3. DeMarcus Ware, DE
Ware was one of the most physically dominant players in the NFL from the moment he was drafted. He made seven consecutive All-Pro teams, including four first-team selections in the 2000s and early 2010s. He recorded double-digit sacks for seven years in a row, shattering a franchise record.
Cowboys fans couldn't fault Ware when he joined the Denver Broncos to win a Super Bowl, but his relative lack of longevity in Dallas is the only thing holding him back from one of the top two spots on this list.
2. Jason Witten, TE
Cowboys fans will forever remember a helmetless Jason Witten rumbling down the right side of the field to put Dallas into scoring range. One of the most iconic plays in league history, it will never be replicated due to rule changes.
The legendary tight end was the picture of toughness and consistency for nearly two decades. When the Cowboys needed a play on third down, he was always there. With 11 Pro Bowls and four All-Pro nods, his resume is impossible to deny.
1. Zack Martin, RG
Offensive guards don't often become first-ballot Hall of Famers, but Martin's spot in Canton should be waiting for him the second he becomes eligible. He spent a decade as the best guard in football, making nine All-Pro teams in a 10-year stretch.
Martin was the centerpiece of the elite offensive line that defined the Cowboys in the late 2010s. If he had played a more noticeable position, he would be considered among the best NFL players of all time.
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