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Dallas Cowboys Position Group Rankings: Quarterbacks
Main Photo: [Dale Zanine] USA Today Sports

Coming in at No. 2 in our position group rankings are the quarterbacks. Which is to say: Dak Prescott—and the expectation of a bounce-back 2025—is the reason this unit finishes this high. While other teams are scrambling to figure out the quarterback position (we see you, Cleveland), Dallas doesn’t have that problem. The Cowboys have a franchise guy in Prescott, and that alone puts this group near the top.

Dallas lost Cooper Rush after eight serviceable years, but Will Grier returns after picking up a Super Bowl ring with the Eagles. He’s familiar with the organization and offers veteran insurance.

The wildcard is Joe Milton III, whom the Cowboys traded for this offseason. He’s super raw, but his physical traits are off the charts—huge frame, tremendous mobility, and elite arm strength. Serious upside if he ever learns to, like, you know, play the quarterback position.

This isn’t a flashy room. But it features top-tier QB1 play, and an intriguing developmental project worth watching.

Quarterback Dak Prescott Is Still The Franchise Cornerstone

The Cowboys’ Season Lives Or Dies With Dak Prescott

If the Cowboys are going to return to the playoffs, their hopes begin and end with Dak Prescott.

Prescott enters 2025 fully healthy (presumably) after a hamstring injury cut his 2024 season short. While last year was a disappointment, there’s still every reason to believe in a return to form. In 2023, Prescott finished as the runner-up for league MVP, earned Second Team All-Pro honors, and led the league’s highest scoring offense. He was the best version of himself: elite at the line of scrimmage, accurate, and deadly efficient.

That version of Dak still exists. And with this offseason’s upgrades, there’s reason for optimism.

The offensive line has been reinforced. The running game has been retooled (maybe?). CeeDee Lamb remains one of the league’s premier WR1s, and now he finally has a legitimate running mate in George Pickens.

The pieces are in place for Prescott to reclaim his place in the upper-tier of NFL quarterbacks.

Prescott is far from perfect. He’s 31, carries a punitive contract, and remains one of the most polarizing players in football. But he’s also one of the most stable and respected leaders in the whole league, who has shown that he will produce when given competent supporting parts.

That stability gives the Cowboys a massive edge over much of the league.

A Familiar Face And A High-Upside Wildcard

Will Grier returns to Dallas after a brief stint with the Eagles that earned him a Super Bowl ring. He’s not the most physically gifted quarterback, but he’s familiar with the organization and has a relationship with Prescott—his veteran presence in the quarterback room will help. Grier won’t win you a shootout, but he should keep the offense functional if he has to step in.


Main Photo Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The far more intriguing player is Joe Milton III. The former Patriot is a true physical outlier—he’s got an absolute cannon with mobility that belies his size. That said, he’s super raw. His footwork and decision-making need refinement, and his accuracy is streaky at best. But man, can he wow you. I don’t know if he’d be the guy to come in if Prescott goes down, but he should be. Instead of trying to recreate Prescott in lesser form, Dallas should opt for the freak athlete who can do things only a few other quarterbacks can do.

Milton playing meaningful snaps this year probably means another lost season. Hopefully, he’s able to sit, learn, and develop as a quarterback. Clean up the mechanics and improve his processing. And in two or three years, maybe you’ve got a viable starting quarterback on your hands.

Why They Rank No. 2 In Our Position Rankings

The quarterbacks come in at No. 2 in our position group rankings because of one guy: Dak Prescott. He’s a proven, top-tier starter who you can with a Super Bowl with.

He gives the Cowboys a chance to win every single week. When healthy, he’s one of the most efficient and prepared quarterbacks in football. He’s led elite offenses before, and with a strong supporting cast around him in 2025, there’s every reason to believe he can do it again.

Behind him, the Cowboys have a familiar, serviceable veteran and a high-upside developmental project.

This room isn’t flashy, but it is stable. And if Dallas wants to return to the playoffs, their hopes rest squarely on the shoulders of the quarterbacks.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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