- Dak Prescott claims the ultimate quarterback nod: In the closest decision on the roster, Prescott narrowly edged out Tony Romo for the starting quarterback position due to his historically higher single-season grading peaks.
- The offensive line represents a decade of absolute dominance: The foundational core of the team is anchored by future Hall of Famers Zack Martin and Tyron Smith alongside Travis Frederick, cementing one of the most dominant blocking units of the PFF era.
- Micah Parsons joins DeMarcus Ware in an elite edge tandem: Despite DeMarcus Lawrence's extensive career longevity in Dallas, Micah Parsons' unmatched multi-year grading peak earned him the starting edge rusher spot opposite franchise legend DeMarcus Ware.
As part of PFF's celebration of 20 years of NFL data, we're building an All-Star team for every franchise, highlighting the best players at each position from the PFF era. This installment turns to the Dallas Cowboys, one of the league's most iconic organizations, to identify the standout performers who have defined the franchise over the past two decades.
PFF's database dates back to the 2006 NFL season, providing a unique lens through which to evaluate and compare players across eras. More details on the methodology used to construct these teams are available at the bottom of the page.
Offense
- QB: Dak Prescott (2016-2025)
- HB: Ezekiel Elliott (2016-2024)
- WR: Dez Bryant (2010-2017)
- WR: Amari Cooper (2018-2021)
- Slot WR: CeeDee Lamb (2020-2025)
- TE: Jason Witten (2006-2017)
- TE: Dalton Schultz (2018-2022)
- LT: Tyron Smith (2011-2023)
- LG: Tyler Smith (2022-2025)
- C: Travis Frederick (2013-2019)
- RG: Zack Martin (2014-2024)
- RT: Doug Free (2007-2016)
The toughest decision for this team — and perhaps for any team in the series — came at quarterback. Tony Romo and Dak Prescott both ranked among the top 20 quarterbacks in the project, with little separating them. Romo held the longevity edge and would have been the choice if the exercise centered on each player's best seven seasons. However, Prescott's peak was higher. His 2023 and 2025 seasons were enough to give him the nod.
Dallas' strength over the past 20 seasons has been on offense, with impact players spread across the full PFF era. No Cowboys player who made this team has reached the Hall of Fame yet, though Jason Witten and Zack Martin have strong cases and Tyron Smith has an outside shot. Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens nearly edged out Amari Cooper despite playing only three seasons in Dallas from ages 33-35. The only other close call came at running back, where Ezekiel Elliott's volume and longevity won out over Tony Pollard‘s efficiency.
The Cowboys also have foundational pieces in place moving forward. CeeDee Lamb already stands as Dallas' top wide receiver of the PFF era, while Tyler Smith earned a spot despite having only four seasons on his résumé.
Defense
- DI: Osa Odighizuwa (2021-2025)
- DI: Jason Hatcher (2006-2013)
- NT: Jay Ratliff (2006-2012)
- ED: DeMarcus Ware (2006-2013)
- ED: Micah Parsons (2021-2024)
- LB: Sean Lee (2010-2020)
- LB: Jaylon Smith (2017-2021)
- CB: DaRon Bland (2022-2025)
- CB: Terence Newman (2006-2011)
- Slot CB: Orlando Scandrick (2008-2017)
- S: Byron Jones (2015-2019)
- S: Barry Church (2010-2016)
The defining strength of the Cowboys' defense over the past two decades has been its edge defenders. Dallas transitioned seamlessly from Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware to DeMarcus Lawrence, a four-time Pro Bowler who anchored the position for more than a decade, and then to Micah Parsons, whose two first-team All-Pro selections in his first four NFL seasons have already cemented him among the league's elite. Lawrence's longevity made the decision close, but Parsons' peak ultimately proved impossible to overlook.
Unlike the offense, which features stars spread throughout the PFF era, the Cowboys' defense is built from standout performers whose best seasons came at different points in time. The secondary, in particular, presented several interesting decisions. Orlando Scandrick emerged as the highest-graded defensive back on the team, earning the slot cornerback spot. Byron Jones was next, combining three seasons at safety with two at cornerback. His versatility and overall body of work were enough to secure a place on the roster, and he landed at safety both because he spent more time there and because Dallas had stronger competition at cornerback than at safety.
Methodology
Selections were based on normalized PFF grades adjusted by season. To balance peak performance and longevity, only a player's five best seasons with a franchise from 2006-25 were considered. Any season with an overall PFF grade below 60.0 was excluded, ensuring that strong years helped a player's case while weaker seasons were not held against him. Postseason play was included, though all seasons were capped at a 16-game equivalent to maintain consistency across eras. At each position, the player with the highest score under this methodology earned the spot.
Each team consists of 12 offensive and 12 defensive players. Because 11 personnel and nickel defense were the league's most common alignments over the past two decades, those personnel groupings served as the foundation for every roster. Teams received either a second tight end or a fullback depending on whether they used more 12- or 21-personnel. Defensively, teams received either a third interior defender or a third linebacker depending on whether they primarily operated from a 3-4 or 4-3 front.
Players who logged significant snaps at multiple positions during their tenure with a franchise were eligible at either spot. In most cases, those players were assigned to the position where they provided the greatest value, though their versatility occasionally influenced the final roster construction.
Unlike some All-Pro teams that group offensive linemen by position type, these rosters were built according to where players actually lined up. If a team's two best tackles both played exclusively on the left side, only the top left tackle was selected. One of the three wide receivers and one of the five defensive backs was also required to have significant slot experience. In a 4-3 defense, one linebacker needed experience at the Sam linebacker position, while in a 3-4 defense, one defensive tackle needed experience at nose tackle.
When multiple players are listed at the same position, the first name represents the top selection. Players designated as slot wide receiver, slot cornerback, nose tackle or Sam linebacker were selected specifically for those roles rather than as the third-best player within their broader position group.
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