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Is Cowboys’ Dak Prescott a top 10 QB? NFL execs, coaches and players offer their takes

See where Prescott ranked in this year’s ESPN survey heading into training camp.

After one of his most successful campaigns, Dak Prescott earned various honors and finished second in NFL MVP voting. Now, it’s once again time to ask: Does he rank within the top 10 at his position?

According to an ESPN survey of executives, coaches and players, the Dallas Cowboys’ signal caller comes in at No. 10 heading into the 2024 season. That’s a slight drop from last year’s survey, which had him ranked at ninth.

An unsurprising development in this year’s list is the No. 1 placement of Texas Tech product Patrick Mahomes, who recently led the Chiefs to their third Super Bowl win in the last five years. AFC rivals Joe Burrow and Josh Allen round out the top 3.

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Despite a strong 2023, Prescott finds himself ranked behind players like Jared Goff and Aaron Rodgers. While Goff led the Lions on a successful run toward the postseason, Rodgers notably missed much of the season with a torn Achilles.

Prescott’s highest ranking in this year’s survey was No. 7, while the lowest was out of the top 10. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted that Prescott was the only top 10 quarterback without a top 6 vote. He completed nearly 70% of his passes last season for 4,516 yards, 36 touchdowns and nine interceptions to earn Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors.

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“He always does well enough to be in the top 10 but never gets over the hump,” an NFC executive told Fowler. “He makes all the throws. He’s playing the position at a high level. But something’s missing. There are a lot of factors in that, from the running game, playcalling, defense, and Dallas hasn’t won in a long while. But certain guys are going to elevate their team late in the game, and Dak doesn’t seem to do that.”

Prescott was listed ahead of honorable mentions like Brock Purdy, Jordan Love, Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa. Much of the offseason discussion about Prescott has centered around a possible contract extension. He’s entering the final year of a four-year contract with a base salary of $29 million for the 2024 season and a salary cap hit of $55.4 million.

Prescott recently said extension conversations have been “back-and-forth,” but his focus is set on training camp.

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“He’s lacking that high-end ceiling, plays the position really well, but not an elite athlete and passer [that] Mahomes and Allen are,” an NFL personnel director said in ESPN’s report. “They need to support him in those big matchups. He’s really good but not quite good enough to elevate the entire team in those matchups.”

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