Dak Prescott has always faced criticism and skepticism for a wide variety of reasons. Some say that he’s not clutch, that he can’t win a big game, or that he doesn’t do enough to earn $60 million per season. Despite this, NFL team executives, coaches, and scouts still hold him in high regard.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler ranked Prescott sixth among NFL QBs. He’s ahead of Justin Herbert, Drake Maye, Jared Goff, and Caleb Williams. Just ahead of him at 5th is the two-time MVP, Lamar Jackson. Fowler seems to be a big fan among Cowboys fans as of late, considering he picked Tyler Smith as the best interior OL in the game.
This is a big deal for Prescott. After all, on the same list last season, he wasn’t even ranked. After finishing second in MVP voting in 2023, executives and coaches ranked him third in the NFL. But a lackluster 2024 season, which ended early due to injury, saw him fall out of the ranks.
Prescott's ESPN ranking proves he's among the elite
Can Prescott put together back-to-back good campaigns? What’s interesting about it is that he’s been doing a classic “snip-snap” routine since 2019. He’ll have a good season, where he throws a bunch of TDs, then a bad one marred by injuries and poor play. This upcoming season, the pattern shows that he’s due for a bad year.
The last time Prescott put together back-to-back solid campaigns was in 2018 and '19. He made the Pro Bowl in ‘18 and even won a playoff game. Then in '19, he threw for almost 5,000 yards and tossed 30 TDs for the first time.
At this point in his career, though, Prescott is a completely different player than he was pre-2020. He’s turned into a progression passer who can read the field well and master an offensive system. Of course, his gruesome ankle injury forced him to change who he was as a player, as he was known as a decent dual-threat QB before the bone snapped.
Before the injury, Prescott was running for around 300 yards per season and six TDs. But he’s since had three out of five seasons with fewer than 200. Regardless, other NFL coaches think he should consider getting back to the ground game more.
"“I think he can use his athleticism even more and run for first downs… That would give [the Cowboys] a new dimension.” "An AFC offensive coach.
Prescott has been through thick and thin and still has haters. We get it. He hasn't won an MVP or a Super Bowl or broken the Cowboys' NFC Championship curse from 30 years ago, but football is 11-on-11. He's got plenty of guys to help him out, and this ranking shows that Prescott is doing just fine.
There are plenty of others to worry about on the Cowboys’ offense. Javonte Williams ran for 1,200 yards and 11 TDs last year. Jake Ferguson also had over 100 targets and eight TDs at tight end. Prescott's legs could easily become an afterthought come the season.
All in all, Prescott's rating feels just right going into 2026. He’s honestly the perfect tier break from the elite of the elite QBs such as Lamar, Joe Burrow, Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen. Those guys have proven to be consistently great players, and all will most likely go down as Hall of Famers.
Meanwhile, Prescott, Herbert, and Maye are still trying to prove doubters wrong and show that they can win something legitimate, like an MVP award or a Lombardi Trophy.
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