Whom do you nominate as the most impactful Cowboy rookie in history?

Dorsett seems like the popular answer, but does that team not win without him? If not that’s probably the answer.

Can’t comment on Lilly since I’m so young lol.

Emmitt? Maybe but the team didn’t make the playoffs, although they may have if Aikman didn’t get hurt.

I’m no fan but Elliott may be the answer.
 
5Stars said:
I may be wrong, but I cannot think I have ever seen another runner that glides when he runs, it's like he was on ice skates or something! Incredible.
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I know right man?
Those fluid hips with that gliding gazelle like cheetah speed.
He could be going at his three quarters gait and then hit the nitro button to explode through that hole to make the house call.
Tony was something else!
 
I see Bob Lilly’s name come up but the Cowboys only won 4 games his rookie year. Clearly one of the all time great Cowboys but it took several years for him to impact the Cowboys record. There wasn’t enough good players around him as a rookie for him to make a significant impact.
 
DallasEast said:
Have you considered Tony Dorsett's rookie contribution?
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He got drafted to an 11-3 team and broke 1000 yards year 1. Averaged 74 yards in the playoffs

Good numbers for a rookie RB but it’s not comparable to a QB. Had the question been “ignoring positional value”, then Tony should get a lot more mention here. But when 1 guy is a pro bowl QB and no one else is? Thats that
 
Aerolithe_Lion said:
Lilly’s rookie year he had 5.5 sacks and the team went 4-9-1. Are people confusing the question?

Impact is on a curve, and only 1 player here is the most impactful position. Dallas went from 4-12 in 2015 with a team QBR somewhere in the 30’s and a passer rating around 75 to 13-3 in 2016 behind Dak’s 77 QBR and 105 passer rating. It is not realistically possible for a nonQB to have the same level of impact, and Lilly’s rookie year certainly wasn’t that
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You realize a healthy Romo has the same or better season than Dak?
 
fivetwos said:
Yeah he had a unique style, as did Eric Dickerson.
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So spot on brother.
My favorite non Cowboy RB to watch because of that unique smooth and fluid open field gait.
Like watching a deer in the wild when he was in open field.
 
Everyone has seen this many, many times, and correct me if wrong, but I recall, I think, that there was a player missing on the offense during this play, only 10 players on the field.

Yeah, I don't think Zeke did anything like that, but he was good at first.

 
Dorsett is #1 for me, as far as impact, he helped the Cowboys get over the hump to win a SB. Preston, Newhouse, Dennison were good but 1976 first roud loss made it necessary for the Cowboys to upgrade, Tony made the 77 Cowboys a complete great team.

Dak and Zeke had great rookie years and should have been greater with post season success.

Too Tall had a great rookie year but that was the only year they didnt make the playoffs in the 70s.
 
fivetwos said:
Dorsett seems like the popular answer, but does that team not win without him? If not that’s probably the answer.

Can’t comment on Lilly since I’m so young lol.

Emmitt? Maybe but the team didn’t make the playoffs, although they may have if Aikman didn’t get hurt.

I’m no fan but Elliott may be the answer.
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Zeke was definitely a beast but the overall team impact was still one and done.
I'm just wondering why no Dak votes?

He did get offensive rookie of the year and a 13-3, #1 seed record...

Why no Dak?
 
Tony Dorsett
Everson Walls
Zeke Elliot
Bob Lilly
Zack Martin

And my choice for impactful rookie who most would not consider is Dan Bailey
 
75boyz said:
Zeke was definitely a beast but the overall team impact was still one and done.
I'm just wondering why no Dak votes?

He did get offensive rookie of the year and a 13-3, #1 seed record...

Why no Dak?
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Definitely not the winner but maybe honorable mention to Larry Allen in 94. That team came close, but may not have after Eric Williams’ crash if not for Allen.

Also the duo of Downs/Walls for 81 was nice.
 
fivetwos said:
Definitely not the winner but maybe honorable mention to Larry Allen in 94. That team came close, but may not have after Eric Williams’ crash if not for Allen.

Also the duo of Downs/Walls for 81 was nice.
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Nice job on the honorable mentions.
Larry was just plain Larry.
Enough said even with big Es crash circumstances.

And I too loved that #24 Walls and #26Downs ballhawking Cowboy secondary.

They would tackle too!
 
Aerolithe_Lion said:
He got drafted to an 11-3 team and broke 1000 yards year 1. Averaged 74 yards in the playoffs

Good numbers for a rookie RB but it’s not comparable to a QB. Had the question been “ignoring positional value”, then Tony should get a lot more mention here. But when 1 guy is a pro bowl QB and no one else is? Thats that
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Fair enough, although I have my personal criticism of the NFL's post-1997 Pro Bowl selections. Speaking of awards, I did some digging.

I was curious how the Associated Press viewed each of the OP's listed players immediately following their respective rookie seasons. The league recognizes the AP choices for individual player achievement. Here are their awards:

* Note: Everson Walls (1981), Tyron Smith (2011), Travis Frederick (2013) and Trevon Diggs (2020) did not receive these particular AP awards. I included the United Press International (UPI) awards for Calvin HIll strictly for nostalgia's sake. Years are clickable links to source materials​
​
1969


Calvin Hill

NFL AP MVP - 4th Place (9% of voting)
NFL UPI MVP - 6th Place
NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year - 1st Place (95% of voting)
NFL UPI NFL Rookie of the Year - 1st Place


1977

Tony Dorsett

NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year - 1st Place (94% of voting)


1990

Emmitt Smith

NL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year - 1st Place (41.3% of voting)


2005

DeMarcus Ware

NFL AP Defensive Rookie of the Year - 4th Place (2% of voting)


2014

Zack Martin

NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year - 2nd Place (14% of voting)


2016

Dak Prescott

NFL AP MVP - 6th Place (2% of voting)
NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year - 1st Place (57% of voting)

Ezekiel Elliott

NFL AP MVP - 4th Place (12% of voting)
NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year - 2nd Place (43% of voting)
NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year - 5th Place (11% of voting)


Personally, I am sticking with Dorsett but will defer to anyone else's choices out of the OP's list except for Walls, T. Smith, Frederick and Diggs. Just my opinion.
 
Hagman said:
I appreciate mentioning Lilly, but I’m interpreting the question as which player had the greatest impact their rookie year. In Lilly’s first year, the team still was building, a.k.a. sucked.

The player who was the most impactful as a rookie was Tony Dorsett in 1977. The year before the leading Dallas Cowboys rusher, Doug Dennison, only had 540 yards on the season, and we lost in the first round of the playoffs. In Dorsett’s first year he ran for over 1000 yards snd the Cowboys won the Super Bowl. That’s quite a difference maker for a rookie.
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While Dennison did have only 540 yards rushing, Dallas ran a multiple running back offense, the backs collectively had nearly 2,000 yards rushing. Dorsett did provide the breakaway threat, but it's not like running the ball was awful that year. The team went 11-3, the playoff loss was a fluke imho, Dorsett did make a difference, but not so sure Dallas couldn't have won the SB without Dorsett in 1977.
 
Just about to nominate Calvin Hill. surprise 24 in round number 1. Most analyst thought very little of him.

But he was a big guy with speed who hurdled tacklers. Fun to watch him run.

Also the first Cowboy to break 1000 in a season.

And Super Bowl VI winner.

Didn't happen his rookie year.
 
Most impactful rookie? I have to go with Zeke. Dorsett did run over 1000 his rookie year and put an already great offense over the top. But let's face it, without Zeke, there's no way Dak would have had the success he had that season - that was a dumbed down passing offense with tons of run-option stuff. It's easy to overlook Zeke given how quickly he faded in his career. But 2016 he was on a rare MVP level for a rookie. Only Eric Dickerson, Randy Moss and Dan Marino come to mind as being even more impactful as rookies.
 
Zeke and Dak fed off of each other so they pretty much cancel each other out

TD I think did bring a definite spark and change to the offense that year; Landry made a big trade to get him so he understood the importance

Calvin Hill was a big addition to the O

Lilly did not have a great first year

Emmitt did but no real effect on team record

It comes down to how much difference did TD add that year. Outside of him, you probably have a tie amongst half a dozen guys
 
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