When the 135th Draft Pick, Dak Prescott, Saved Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys in His Rookie Season

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is the highest-paid player in NFL history. He inked a four-year, $240 million contract last season to earn that distinction. But before he became the Cowboys’ franchise signal-caller, he entered the league as a fourth-round pick (No. 153 overall).

Prescott didn’t have the shine of Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, or Paxton Lynch in the 2016 NFL Draft. He went off the board after Christian Hackenberg, Jacoby Brissett, Cody Kessler, and Connor Cook. Jerry Jones, and others, considered him a high-end developmental prospect.

But the timeline for his development got ramped up when Tony Romo suffered a vertebral compression fracture in the preseason.

Romo, Dallas’ incumbent quarterback, sat 12 games due to broken clavicle ailments in 2015. His absence led to the Cowboys’ disastrous 4-12 campaign.

With Romo set to miss eight-to-ten weeks with his newest injury, the Cowboys’ fanbase didn’t have much hope for 2016. Prescott, though, flipped the script and showed he was much more than your traditional fourth-round quarterback.

Jayden Daniels’ 2024 season is nearly undisputed as the greatest year by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. But before him, there was Prescott. The Cowboys QB had an argument for the honor despite not debuting in the strongest fashion. He completed 55.6% (25/45) of his passes for 227 yards and no touchdowns in a 20-19 loss to the New York Giants to open his NFL tenure.

After that, though, Prescott rattled off 11 consecutive victories. And, like Daniels, he had a penchant for thriving in the game’s biggest moments. He orchestrated five fourth-quarter comebacks as a first-year pro, an NFL-record mark that Daniels tied this season.

Prescott finished his rookie season with 3,667 passing yards and 23 passing touchdowns. He completed 67.8% of his passes, only three four interceptions, and added 282 yards and six scores on the ground. He won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and garnered a sixth-place finish in MVP voting. More importantly, he led the Cowboys to a 13-3 record and the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed.

Prescott was the belle of Dallas’ ball back then. These days, he’s not viewed through the same lens.

Dak Prescott will be under immense pressure in 2025

The Cowboys have recorded six winning seasons and five playoff appearances under Prescott. Despite that success, he is often criticized for not playing well when everything is on the line. His most recent playoff defeat, a 48-32 loss to the Green Bay Packers, came as a No. 2 seed when he finished as the runner-up for MVP.

Prescott has just a 2-5 postseason record in his career. Falling at home against Green Bay, who had first-year starter Jordan Love under center, was inexcusable to many Dallas fans. Jerry Jones has claimed the same but rewarded him with a $60 million-per-year contract anyway.

The 2024 campaign ended up being a lost cause once Prescott tore his hamstring in Week 7. Even though the Cowboys don’t boast the strongest roster, he has practically zero margin for error this year. If he doesn’t take Dallas on a deep postseason run, fans will be calling for his head.

Prescott’s paycheck demands him to carry the Cowboys through times of trouble. Will he finally be able to do so? Or will he, like Romo – who went 2-4 in his own playoff career – fall short and be replaced sooner than expected?

If Dallas drafts another developmental QB prospect in the middle rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, the two situations will look mighty similar. But for now, Prescott still has a chance at redemption. He must capitalize to prove to his detractors that he’s worthy of his contract and truly is an upper-echelon signal-caller.