ESPN has been running a preseason written series where NFL executives, coaches, and scouts rank each position group; this year, they decided it was time to give Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott his flowers.
The highly anticipated quarterback rankings showed Prescott with his highest ranking yet, landing behind only reigning MVP Matthew Stafford when it came to NFC QBs.
In full, Prescott is clearly inside the top-ten, and is ahead of quite a few superstars. Let’s dig into the list, so you can see if you agree with the NFL world’s ranking of the Cowboys star; I am willing to bet there won’t be any fans upset by his ranking…
Dak Prescott’s Ranking: 6th in the NFL, 2nd in NFC, 1st in NFC East
The Official List (NFL Execs, Coaches, Scouts Aggregate Rank):
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
The full list is pretty obvious at the top, with three MVPs leading the way. Josh Allen in Buffalo, Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, and Matthew Stafford (the reigning MVP) in LA are all hard to argue with to start the 2026 season.
Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson, the two AFC North stars, are back-to-back, as they often are. Fans have critiqued the league’s ranking of Jackson, a two-time MVP, being all the way at 5.
The All-Pro and 2023 MVP runner-up in Prescott lands at sixth, ahead of a couple of young AFC stars, Justin Herbert and Drake Maye.
Prescott has led the NFL in completions in two of the last three seasons, has thrown for 30+ touchdowns in three of the last five seasons, and he’s found a way to keep his competition percentage at an elite level despite taking on a gunslinger play style.
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Following the Cowboys star is a pair of NFC North guys, the veteran Jared Goff in Detroit, and the impossibly entertaining Bears youngster, Caleb Williams.
Super Bowl champions Jalen Hurts and Sam Darnold are in the honorable mention section, as are Brock Purdy, Jordan Love, Jayden Daniels, Baker Mayfield, and Trevor Lawrence. This is where you’ll see a lot of NFC fans coming for Prescott.
In my view, it is hard to argue against the production and consistency of Dak Prescott; he is pretty clearly a top-three QB in the conference, if not higher, as he is here.