Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott landed a lofty ranking in an ESPN preseason list of the best NFL quarterbacks voted by executives, scouts, and coaches. He was ranked No. 6 overall and was the No. 2 quarterback in the NFC, just behind Los Angeles Rams star Matthew Stafford, who was No. 3 overall. Despite that, many often criticize the Cowboys’ star, but recently an analyst defended him.
Analyst Blames Jerry Jones for Dak Prescott Perception
During Thursday’s segment of the “First Take” show, ESPN analyst Kevin Clark blamed Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’s erratic roster building for the perception of Prescott among fans.
“Look at his numbers last year offensively. No issues driving the ball down the field,” Clark said. “Probably the best play-action passers in all of football for long stretches of last season. When he threw to his targets, George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb, down the field, it was about 15 yards per play when he’s in play-action. These are video game-type numbers. I think he’s unbelievable.
“I think he’s the most underappreciated because he’s become a punchline because of the sins of Jerry Jones’s roster building and Cowboys fans who always overhype their team. This year, when you look at the offense, I just think that there’s gonna be a floor that’s really high and a defense that, if it can get to average, it’s NFC contention.”
“I think [Dak Prescott] is the most underappreciated. … He’s become a punchline because of the sins of Jerry Jones’ roster building. And cowboys fans always overhype their team.” @bykevinclark talks about Dak Prescott having an MVP season 👀 pic.twitter.com/x2NUeYGYM9
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 16, 2026
Despite his poor standing with fans and some analysts, Prescott has led the NFL in completions in two of the last three seasons and thrown for 30+ touchdowns in three of the last five seasons.
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Prescott has entered himself into the annals of NFL history and currently ranks No. 7 in all-time completion percentage (above 1,500 pass attempts) and is No. 8 in the all-time regular-season career passer rating. He has earned four Pro Bowl nods and one second-team All-Pro selection to go with finishing as the runner-up to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in the 2023 MVP voting.
Last season, Prescott earned a PFN QB Impact score of 82.1, ranking him at No. 6 in the NFL. He registered 4,552 passing yards on 67.3% completion, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while adding 177 rushing yards and two scores for the Cowboys.
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Prescott will headline a potent Cowboys offense that averaged 391.9 yards per game (No. 2 in the NFL) and 27.7 points per game (No. 7). In addition, he will have two of the league’s most explosive targets in Pickens and Lamb to throw to as he attempts to reverse his woeful 2-5 record in the playoffs.
