Ranking the 10 greatest Cowboys of the past decade
Dak Prescott
A lot of talented players have helped Dallas win a lot of games over the past decade. But these are the Cowboys' 10 greatest in that span:
10. Sean Lee (LB)
Lee was a tackling machine in 11 seasons with the Cowboys. His 522 solo tackles are the most in franchise history and 320 of them came in the past decade. After missing the 2014 season with a torn ACL, Lee made the first of two Pro Bowl appearances in 2015 and earned All-Pro honors in 2016.
9. Jason Witten (TE)
Witten’s 12,977 yards and 1,215 receptions are more than any player in franchise history but 9,799 yards and 879 catches came prior to 2014. So did nine of 11 Pro Bowl appearances and both of his All-Pro nominations. Had this been a 20-year list, Witten would rank much higher.
8. CeeDee Lamb (WR)
In just four seasons, Lamb has 395 catches, 5,145 yards and 32 touchdowns, not to mention three Pro Bowls and an All-Pro nomination. The 25-year-old is already the eighth-leading receiver in team history, averaging eight touchdowns and 1,286 yards per year.
7. Dak Prescott (QB)
Prescott scored the first of three Pro Bowls and was named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2016. Since then, he’s thrown for 25,792 yards and 179 more scores. He led the NFL with 36 touchdowns last year, but couldn’t beat Green Bay in the NFC wild-card game. Prescott has great regular-season numbers but his 2-5 playoff record can’t be ignored.
6. Micah Parsons (LB)
Parsons has three Pro Bowl appearances, two All-Pro nominations and earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2021. Only T.J. Watt (47), Myles Garrett (46) and Nick Bosa (44.5) have more sacks than Parsons (40.5) over the past three seasons. He may never catch DeMarcus Ware (117), but could pass Randy White (52) for seventh-most in franchise history next season.
5. DeMarcus Lawrence (DE)
Lawrence ranks 12th in franchise history with 58.5 sacks, second in tackles for loss (93), and second in quarterback hits (121). He’s also earned four Pro Bowl nominations and, according to Pro Football Focus, only the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby played the run better last season.
4. Ezekiel Elliott (RB)
Only Derrick Henry has more rushing yards (9,502) than Elliott (8,904) in the last 10 years. Elliott led the NFL with 1,631 yards as a rookie in 2016 and topped the league again with 1,434 yards in 2018. His 8,262 yards with the Cowboys are third-most in franchise history behind Tony Dorsett (12,036) and Emmitt Smith (17,162).
3. Travis Frederick (C)
Frederick joined the team as a late first-round pick in 2013 and didn’t miss a start until 2018 when Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare condition in which a person's immune system attacks their peripheral nerves, cost him the entire 2018 season. He returned to play all 16 games in 2019, earning a fifth Pro Bowl nomination before retiring in 2020.
2. Tyron Smith (T)
Taken ninth overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, Smith played 161 games in 13 years with the Cowboys, mostly at left tackle where he earned eight Pro Bowl and two All-Pro nominations. He was voted to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team along with the Cowboy’s current right guard, Zack Martin.
1. Zack Martin (G)
Martin, Bob Lilly and Randy White are tied for the most All-Pro nominations (7) in franchise history. That and nine Pro Bowl appearances make him the greatest Cowboy of the past decade.
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