5 Best Dallas Cowboys of the 21st century

There are few more storied franchises in sports than the Dallas Cowboys.

Spearheaded by Jerry Jones’ ownership, the Cowboys became America’s Team, known throughout the world and turned into one of the most marketable franchises in sports.

However, with the introduction of the NFL Salary Cap, on-field success has deserted the famous Dallas Cowboys. This has been much to the joy of Stephen A. Smith and those who prefer the underdog.

Yet, despite the 2000s being a millennium of pain thus far in Dallas, there have still been quite a few sensational players to pass through AT&T Stadium.

Dak Prescott is currently leading the charge to propel the Dallas Cowboys into Super Bowl contention for the first time since the 1990s. But before him, there have been some tremendous standard-bearers who carried the team's flag through troubled waters.

Who are the 5 best Dallas Cowboys of the 21st century?

#5 Dak Prescott

NFC Wild Card Playoffs - 49ers v Cowboys

Dak Prescott is the best player the Dallas Cowboys have right now. He is in the prime of his career, has shown himself to be capable of leading a team into the playoffs, and has overcome some rather severe injuries.

Prescott is the beacon of light in Dallas at this moment in time, after ensuring that the transition from Tony Romo was a painless one. In 2021 he threw for 4,449 yards and 37 touchdowns, which marked him as one of the truly elite performers in the NFL.

Discounting 2020 where he played just five games before an ACL injury, Prescott has never thrown for less than 3,300 yards in a season. He also has a career pass completion of 66.6%.

There needs to be no further praise for his on-field abilities, but his leadership is fantastic too. This is where the franchise thought they would miss Romo, but Prescott has taken on the mantle of being a leader for the Dallas Cowboys.

If they are going to end their Super Bowl pain in the 2000s, it has to be with him at the helm.

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#4 Dez Bryant

Dez Bryant's time with the Dallas Cowboys isn’t remembered as fondly as it should be because of how he dropped off after getting a huge $70 million contract in 2015. The contract notably came after a lot of consternation regarding playing under the franchise tag.

However, it’s important to look beyond that and remember how, for four seasons, Bryant was one of the receivers in both the NFL and Dallas Cowboys history.

He started just two games in his rookie year, yet still caught 45 passes for 561 yards. It was clear that the franchise had a special player.

Standing at just 6ft 1in, Bryant used his body in the most remarkable of ways. He bullied defenders and scored touchdowns. He was the archetypal receiver for Romo’s throwing style.

From 2011 to 2014 he was untouchable, barely missing a game and catching 336 passes for 4,863 yards. In 2014, he led the NFL in touchdown receptions with 16, in what was his crowning year. His 73 receiving touchdowns with the Dallas Cowboys remains a franchise record, eclipsing Michael Irvin's tally of 65.

Looking past the sour ending, there have been very few more productive players in the 2000s who have worn the Dallas Cowboys jersey than Dez Bryant.

#3 Tony Romo

As the starting quarterback, Tony Romo was the face of the franchise for many years in Dallas.

It was a position that proved to be as much of a burden as a badge of honour. This was especially the case as he got older and fitness issues plagued him, keeping him on the sidelines.

Romo played with passion and you could tell he wanted to win the Cowboys a Super Bowl more than anything. But whenever it looked like he had a chance, the rug would be pulled from underneath him.

Romo had 10 seasons as the starting QB in Dallas, with the final one seeing him lose his spot through injury. That spot went to Dak Prescott a year later. Romo was a four-time pro-bowler, throwing for at least 4,000 yards in a season on 4 occasions.

Whilst not the most technically proficient QB, he made plays out of nothing and often led teams that were bordering on average.

Nobody has thrown more passing yards as a Dallas Cowboys quarterback than Romo, and nobody has thrown more touchdowns for the franchise either. He has 40 games in which he threw at least three touchdowns, whilst he also broke Roger Staubach’s record for fourth-quarter/game-winning drives with 28.

Romo was a symbol for the Dallas Cowboys when they most needed one and will remain a franchise legend.

#2 DeMarcus Ware

DeMarcus Ware is arguably the best all-round player to play for the Dallas Cowboys in the 21st century. He could do just about everything on defense, and often did so for the team over an eight-year career which began in 2005.

Drafted as a priority by Jerry Jones, overruling the then head coach, Bill Parcells, Ware ended up having a Hall of Fame career in Dallas alone. This is without including his Super-Bowl winning spell with the Denver Broncos.

With eight sacks in his rookie year, he joined Jimmie Jones as the only Dallas Cowboys player to lead the team in sacks as a rookie. Ware would improve year-upon-year, never finishing another season with fewer than 10 sacks until his final year with the franchise in 2013.

He particularly stood out in three campaigns: 2008, 2010 and 2011. In the first of those, he led the league with 20 sacks and in 2010, he led the league again with 15.5 sacks. The 2011 season saw him register 19.5 sacks, but this wasn’t enough to lead the league.

There wasn’t a more dominant pass rusher around than Ware during his Dallas Cowboys years. It’s a shame there was never a team around him in Dallas to win big in the playoffs.

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His list of achievements with the Dallas Cowboys is stunning. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in sacks with 117 and all-time leader in forced fumbles with 32. Ware is also Dallas' all-time leader in tackles for loss with 145 and all-time leader in QB hits with 185.

Micah Parsons could well be the modern-day DeMarcus Ware, but the original will forever stand as one of the truly great Dallas Cowboys.

#1 Jason Witten

Jason Witten’s years of service to the Dallas Cowboys remain unmatched.

Drafted as a third-round pick in 2003, Witten was an ever-present member of the offense for the next 16 years, one of which he sat out through his first retirement. Nobody expected Witten to develop the way he did, and Bill Parcells has to take a lot of credit for that.

Consistency is important for a footballer player, and Witten personified that. After his rookie year, he would remarkably miss just two games in his next 15 seasons with Dallas.

He became a captain on the field, playing every down with the intensity required to succeed. While Witten never scored more than nine touchdowns in a season, he was integral to everything the Cowboys did.

He made catches which saved drives, the kind of play that made the difference on third down, while he also covered a lot of ground. Witten received just shy of 13,000 yards in Dallas, which is a franchise record. His 1,215 receptions are also a Dallas Cowboys record, as are his 18 receptions in a single game.

Witten pulled on the uniform 255 times for the Texas team, which is more than anyone else. His 179 consecutive starts is a franchise record that will be difficult to unseat.

Tight end is a very difficult position to judge, simply because they don’t do the work of a pass rusher or quarterback. However, Witten was extremely productive for a prolonged period of time, thoroughly reliable and a good example in the locker room.

You can definitely make the case that he is the greatest Cowboy of all-time, never mind the 21st century.

5 Best Dallas Cowboys of the 21st century feat. Tony Romo and Jason Witten