Tag: 2016 draft

Cowboys’ Prescott ‘last one standing’ from 2016 draft class; Dak’s brother: ‘Let that sink in’

The Dallas QB has outlasted all his peers from the 2016 draft class; now his brother argues that it’s time for the Cowboys to pay him.

The dust is still settling after the weekend’s big quarterback trade in the NFL. And as the world begins to adjust to the idea of Jared Goff wearing Honolulu blue in the Motor City and Matthew Stafford wearing… whatever those dingy-white messes with the silly chest nametags are in Los Angeles, a fascinating side story is emerging that focuses on the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott.

Prescott and Goff will always be linked by their membership in the league’s rookie class of 2016, and both Prescott and Goff will inevitably be lumped with Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. Goff was the first overall selection that year. Wentz was chosen second. Prescott didn’t get the call until the fourth round, with the 135th pick. Twelve other passers were also drafted in 2016; five were taken ahead of Prescott.

But as several outlets have now pointed out, each of those quarterbacks has been cut, benched, or traded by their original club. With a single exception. Rayne Dakota Prescott is suddenly “the last one standing.”

It’s a striking thing to see it laid out in black and white. It’s even more striking when one considers his status as the unquestioned starter from Week One of his rookie campaign. It’s impressive when one remembers that he kicked off his career with three consecutive 3,000-plus-yard passing seasons, two Pro Bowl nods, and a playoff win. It’s remarkable when one notes that he finished within 100 yards of logging 5,000 yards in his fourth season. It’s incredible when one points out that he never missed a start, barely even sat out a practice until he practically snapped his ankle clean off in Week 5 of what was shaping up to be a lights-out statistical year for No. 4.

And it’s downright inconceivable to suggest that that guy– the player with that resume– isn’t even sure of his long-term status with the team because the front office has yet to meet him with a financial commitment that’s commensurate with his blatant best-in-class production.

The blockbuster Goff-Stafford swap casts Prescott’s situation in new light. And the stark devaluing of Goff- he’d made $80 million more than Prescott before last season’s franchise tag, yet was sent to Detroit as part of a package; the future draft picks may well end up proving to be the richer part of the deal for the Lions- only emphasizes Prescott’s worth to the Cowboys.

Just ask Tad Prescott, Dak’s older brother.

 

Tad has been vocal in his frequent criticism of the way the Cowboys organization has treated his younger brother over the tag saga of the summer of 2020. And Tad was the first to update fans on Dak’s ankle surgery back in October, promising that Dak would be back “stronger than ever.” Now he’s making a strong case to the court of social media that his little bro deserves the big payday.

By all accounts, Prescott’s recovery has gone exceedingly well; he’s been reported as being ahead of schedule and should be ready to fully participate in team activities once they resume.

Despite the massive quarterback shuffle occurring across the league, Prescott will (almost certainly) be back in Dallas in 2021, even if it’s under a second- and substantially expensive- franchise tag. Or, as Tad advocates, the Cowboys could let the reality of the current quarterback landscape “sink in” and instead choose to lock in their man, by cracking open the vault and giving 2016’s last man standing- and the undisputed cream of that draft class crop- the long-term contract he’s clearly earned.

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2016 NFL Redraft: Prescott goes where Elliott did, 3 Cowboys in Top 20

A redo of 2016 shows just how outstanding Dallas’ draft haul was that year.

The Dallas Cowboys had one of the better drafts in team history back in 2016. Their first and fourth-round picks (one of them) finished in the top two slots for rookie of the year that campaign. After redshirting his rookie season due to a gruesome injury, their second-round pick was good enough to earn a contract extension after his third year out of college. That same offseason the No. 4 pick earned the, at-the-time, biggest contract at his position in league history. The fourth-round pick has been hit with the franchise tag and is negotiating for one of the highest deals the NFL has ever seen. They also had a fifth-round pick they inked to a new deal this offseason.

It’s safe to say that Will McClay and the Cowboys’ scouting staff knocked that draft out the park. So much so, that when NFL.com did a redraft of 2016, not only did one of their selections make the top 5, three made the Top 20.

In the original draft, Dallas selected RB Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall, linebacker Jaylon Smith No. 35 and Dak Prescott No. 135 – using a compensatory pick earned by losing RT Jermey Parnell in free agency a year prior.

Elliott was a star bell cow out of Ohio State. Smith was on his way to a Top-7 pick status before shredding his knee in Notre Dame’s bowl game. Prescott was a QB afterthought, a dual-threat winner out of Dan Mullen’s Mississippi State program who was the eighth signal caller selected, but ended up edging out Elliott for rookie of the year.

In the redraft, Prescott went in Elliott’s place, No. 4 overall.

Funny how times change. As the 2020 draft approaches, three of the quarterbacks taken ahead of Prescott aren’t currently on a roster four years later.

Michael Silver: This one is painful for the Cowboys, who landed their quarterback of the future after trying — and failing — to get Paxton Lynch, Connor Cook and virtually every other passer in this draft. While Ezekiel Elliott would deliver in a big way as the fourth overall selection, and while DeForest Buckner would likely be the top player on their board, Jerry and Stephen Jones know the deal: With Tony Romo destined for another injury and immediate broadcasting excellence, his successor must be selected here.

Elliott found a landing spot in the redraft at No. 12, with the New Orleans Saints.

Mike: I don’t even want to think about the punishment Sean Payton could inflict on opposing defenses with this elite runner sharing a backfield with the great Drew Brees. Actually, I do want to daydream about it, the next time I go for a run (while maintaining at least 6 feet of distance between me and others on the jogging path).

Finally, Smith jumps way up in  a far cry from when Dallas was seen as the only team willing to take the roll of the dice on his knee and nerve issues when there was concern whether or not he’d ever play again. With hindsight being 20/20 – he went No. 20 to the New York Jets in this redraft.

Mike: Smith was being talked up as a top-three pick before suffering a devastating knee injury in the Fiesta Bowl that put his football future in question. The Cowboys took a risk by selecting him early in the second round, and it paid off in a big way. The Smith we saw in 2018 and ’19 would have provided a turbo-sized boost to the Jets’ defense.

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