The Dallas Cowboys have a fresh start in 2025 with a new head coach in the fold, Brian Schottenheimer, and he has a lot of pressure resting on his shoulders to deliver a winning season. Other than Schottenheimer, many familiar faces are back with the Cowboys, and, of course, owner and general manager Jerry Jones is still at the helm of all the team’s major decisions.
So, who are the most important players on the Dallas Cowboys’ roster in 2025? Following the NFL draft and NFL schedule release, PFF released its roster of each NFL team’s three best players of 2025. In the piece, PFF says that some of the players they pick may be surprising, because they are a bit more low profile. Others are obvious.
“While quarterback remains the most important position in the sport, every roster has a core, the foundational players who will ultimately determine the ceiling and stability of a team in 2025,” NFL analyst and expert Trevor Sikkema notes in the May 20 feature.
Dallas Cowboys’ 3 Most Important Players, According to PFF
While some of the picks for other teams were a bit of a head-scratcher, at least for this reporter, Sikkema’s choices for the most important players on the Cowboys’ squad absolutely make sense.
Cowboys franchise quarterback Dak Prescott is back in 2025, and he’s one of the most important players on the team, according to the picks, as well as edge Micah Parsons and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. So, why are these guys the most important? It’s all about the numbers.
“Parsons earned his fourth straight elite pass-rush grade in 2024 with a 91.6 mark, continuing to anchor Dallas’ defense,” Sikkema notes. “Lamb remained the offense’s top playmaker with a 90.8 receiving grade and a 27.8% target rate, topping 1,100 receiving yards.”
Sikkema adds, “Prescott regressed slightly from his near-MVP 2023 season, with his big-time throw rate dipping to 4.5% and his turnover-worthy play rate rising to 4.7%. Even so, he’s still firmly among the Cowboys’ three best players.”
Where Dak Prescot Sits on the Quarterback Tally
In a separate PFF feature out, published May 20, the outlet rattles off their quarterback rankings going into the new season. The roster is “based on a combination of recent performance and career trajectory.” PFF’s pick for the best quarterback in the league is Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, noting that even though the team fell short against the Eagles last season, “the supporting cast hasn’t always helped, particularly at receiver” and that “no one blends poise, playmaking and postseason performance like Mahomes, which is why he remains at No. 1 entering 2025, even if the field is closer than ever.”
As for Prescott, he’s No. 17 on the tally. “Prescott remains the epitome of a quarterback who thrives against weaker opponents but falters when the competition stiffens,” PFF notes of the star signal-caller. “He earned a 90.0 PFF grade in 2023 — behind only Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes — before a late-season collapse ended his MVP bid.”
PFF adds, “In 2024, the Cowboys stumbled early, and a season-ending injury sidelined Prescott before he could rebound. To rejoin the top-10 conversation, he must recapture that 2023 form and prove he can deliver against the league’s best.”
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