Top 10 Dallas Cowboys Players Going Into the 2025-26 Season
The Cowboys are an interesting team. They have dealt with a ton of injuries on both sides of the ball to key players. When the team was relatively healthy, they massively underperformed.Overall, this team was poorly coached, and Jerry Jones continues to make bizarre decisions that often make little sense. That seems to include their new head coaching hire, who I'm not entirely sold on.
Dallas is a very boom or bust team. They'll either go 13-4 or 6-11. I think a healthy Dallas team can and will make the playoffs, but when it comes to expectations, I'd keep them very moderate, not too high or too low.
There's talent here, but can they bounce back after a disappointing season? The answer to that question will determine whether they have a good or bad year.
Micah Parsons is one of the best defensive players in the entire league, hands down. He's a dominant force with impressive sack numbers and multiple All-Pros and Pro Bowls. He also was Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021.
Even in a bit of a down year statistically, he finished with 23 quarterback hits, 12 sacks, 43 tackles, and 12 tackles for loss in 2024, still earning a Pro Bowl spot. Parsons at his best is a true monster who can disrupt any opponent he faces.
Even in his short career, he's already emerged as the defensive leader for the Cowboys and is already on a potential Hall of Fame trajectory. I expect him to bounce back in 2025.
CeeDee Lamb has been an elite-tier wide receiver in the NFL basically since the moment he was drafted. There's an argument he should be #1 on my list. It was a real toss-up between him and Micah.
CeeDee is by far the best offensive player the Cowboys have, and it ain't even close. He's been consistently productive since he came into the league - one of the most efficient and effective wide receivers in the NFL currently.
Even if his stats in 2024 were slightly down, a lot of that can be attributed to Dak being out for a significant portion of the season. I expect him to have a bounce-back year and prove exactly why he's a top 3 wide receiver in the league right now.
Rayne Dakota "Dak" Prescott, born July 29, 1993, is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at Mississippi State, where he set several school records. Prescott has been the Cowboys' starting quarterback since 2016. I feel like everyone likes to be critical of Dak, myself included. Even some Cowboys fans will critique Dak like crazy.
Here's the thing though, he's still a top 15 quarterback in the NFL, and we've seen that this offense is completely useless without a healthy Dak. Sure, the playoff performance is leaving a lot to be desired by this point in his career and is a valid criticism, but there's no denying he's a high-level passer and can make big plays. He is the leader of that team as a whole, honestly.
The issue is consistency isn't always there, and injuries have definitely piled on in recent seasons. Obviously, last season he missed half the season, but his 2023 was pretty solid: 4,500+ yards, 36 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. I'm not here to take sides either pro or anti-Dak, but as an outsider, there's a big difference between having him playing and him being injured.
He's a lot like Tua if you think about it, honestly. There's a whole lot of worse options out there than Dak as your quarterback. I still think he's one of the better starting quarterbacks in the NFL, and he should have a bounce-back year in 2025.
Tyler Smith has quickly asserted himself as one of the best offensive linemen in the league. He's as consistent as they come, and he's versatile as well, being able to play either guard or tackle. He has great strength and can dominate opponents, especially in the run game.
He already has 2 Pro Bowls since entering the league in 2022. Smith has become a true leader on the Cowboys offensive line. He has a solid 79.1 PFF grade over 3 years and had a 76.0 pass blocking grade in 2024, ranking top 10 amongst guards, and is top 20 in the league in run blocking.
Smith is the type of guy you need on the offensive line. He is the type to be the much-needed cornerstone of the offensive line for a decade.
Diggs has been a really solid cornerback for the Cowboys. He finished with 2 interceptions and 42 tackles in 2024.
It's the second year in a row he's dealt with injuries costing him significant playing time, meaning it's almost impossible to accurately gauge his performance. When Diggs is healthy he's decent, but I think he needs to improve his overall consistency to reach his potential.
Assuming he stays healthy in 2025, he should return to form and return to being one of the better cornerbacks in the league. He can be a true ball hawk and has 17 interceptions since 2021, which is tied with Kerby Joseph for most in the league in that time period. So yes, Trevon is still good. Very rarely is he ever a liability.
The Cowboys getting George Pickens is certainly interesting, if not fitting, for this team. Pickens definitely has upside.
He has the potential to make big plays, he has good hands, and can make those 50/50 contested catches. His talent is there, even if it is a little inconsistent at times - he's basically a non-factor. Here's the thing: his attitude and maturity aren't quite there. His antics are definitely a valid concern.
However, the Cowboys desperately needed an effective wide receiver 2 to draw some attention away from CeeDee Lamb. As long as he can show some maturity and tone his attitude down, he should be a valuable addition to the Cowboys offense.
Tyler Booker is generally considered a good offensive lineman prospect. He is a high-floor type of player who should help bolster the Cowboys offensive line immediately.
He has good strength and power and has great footwork. A pretty conservative, safe pick. Booker has generally high football IQ and should anchor that offensive line for a decade.
There's a lot to like about this guy. If you're Dallas, it's hard to complain about offensive line help.
Brandon Aubrey may be one of the top 5 kickers in the league right now. He's arguably top 3. He's incredibly accurate and consistent and has shown he has incredible range, setting a Cowboys franchise record for longest field goal made (65 yards) and second longest in NFL history.
It's only a matter of time before he breaks the record. He's already made 2 Pro Bowls and a First Team All-Pro and Second Team All-Pro. Just the pure power and precision this guy has is impressive. He makes 60-yard field goals look like 40 yards.
There's no denying he's an elite kicker already. Don't underestimate this man. He's a total game changer and by far the best Fantasy Football kicker out there right now.
DaRon Bland is an interesting case study. He only played about a third of the season in 2024, so it's kinda hard to gauge his statistics.
However, his 2023 season was impressive with 9 interceptions for over 200 yards, and 5 of those turning into touchdowns, which is an NFL record. He earned a Pro Bowl bid and First Team All-Pro in 2023.
He has decent coverage skills and can play both outside and in the slot. Bland is a true ball hawk cornerback who should bounce back in 2025 after missing most of the 2024 season. If he can recapture that glory he showed in 2023, he can absolutely be one of the best cornerbacks in the league.
Jake Ferguson is a good tight end that hasn't quite become elite yet. He still has plenty of room to improve and unlock his true potential.
Ferguson has good hands and athletic ability both as a capable blocker and as a pass catcher. Plus, he has strong chemistry with Dak. He had a good 2023 season with 761 yards and 5 touchdowns, even making it to the Pro Bowl.
However, his 2024 statistical performance was significantly worse - only 494 yards and no touchdowns. To be fair, Dak missed a lot of games, but still, Jake had a very disappointing season compared to his 2023 season. I think with a healthy Dak, his numbers should return to 2023 form.