The Ringer's 2022 QB Rankings
BREAKDOWN
Dak Prescott is forever underrated. Despite being constantly under the spotlight as the Cowboys’ quarterback, Prescott has quietly developed into one of the NFL’s most cerebral passers. It’s as if the football gods decided that the league couldn’t go on without Philip Rivers and selected Dak to carry on the mantle—even throwing in a shoulder injury to rob him of some arm strength. That hasn’t stopped him from making tricky throws downfield, though. And if Prescott’s shoulder is a little stronger now that he’s a year removed from rehabbing the injury, he could be in for a monster season.
In the meantime, Prescott is still making it work by being proactive before the snap. He’s rarely fooled by the blitz and typically has a good read on what coverage the defense is in, which allows him to either get the ball out quickly or find a secondary option. Impressive poise and footwork buys him some time in the pocket on the rare occasions when he does get his pre-snap read wrong. And when all else fails, Dak can lean on his experience as a spread-option QB in college and create with his legs.
BIGGEST STRENGTH: PRE-SNAP
It’s odd how little credit Dak receives for the work he does before the snap. It’s not like this is a recent development; he’s been vigilant in that phase of the game since his rookie season. He’s just a lot better at it now, which tends to happen as a quarterback gains experience. Dak’s success is often attributed to his offensive line, but he can be seen pointing them in the right direction on certain plays and making sure any potential pass rushers are accounted for. Next time you watch Dak play, pay attention to what he’s doing at the line of scrimmage.
BIGGEST WEAKNESS: ARM TALENT
The aforementioned shoulder injury obviously affected his arm strength, and a midseason calf strain didn’t help matters. Let’s check back in on this after a few games this season to see if Prescott has a little more zip on his throws in 2022.
