Ranking the 10 best Dallas Cowboys in NFL history

Best Dallas Cowboys to ever wear the uniform (3/3)

#5 - Roger Staubach, QB

9th Annual NFL Honors - Arrivals

Roger Staubach predates most Cowboys fans watching the game today. However, after looking at Aikman's statistics in the 1990s, Staubach's statistics are extremely impressive.

Basically, looking back, the NFL's history of offense has been the slow evolution of the passing game. Back in the day, running the football was the main way to move the needle. Today, passing the ball is much more heavily relied upon.

Comparing Tony Romo's statistics to Troy Aikman's shows this. However, Staubach predates Aikman but has better passing statistics. In other words, Staubach was able to be more effective passing the ball when passing offenses were even less reliable than in the 1990s.

An NFT based on the original Hail Mary play will be sold next month. The winning bidder also gets to be on the field for a re-creation of the play by Roger Staubach and Drew Pearson. https://t.co/G3Ox201gWq

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) July 19, 2021

Staubach played from 1969-1979. During that time, he threw for 153 touchdowns and 109 interceptions. He was averaging roughly 1.5 touchdowns per interception. Meanwhile, Aikman was averaging barely more than one touchdown per interception.

Staubach went 85-29 in his career with the Cowboys. The Cowboys went to four Super Bowls in that span and won two.

#4 - Mel Renfro, DB

Washington Redskins vs Dallas Cowboys - September 19, 2005

Mel Renfro played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1964-1977. Madden players will know him well as one of the better players in Madden Ultimate Team. In his 14 seasons, Renfro earned at least two interceptions per season. His best season came in 1969 when he had ten interceptions.

In total, Renfro earned 52 interceptions in his career and played in 174 games. In 1996, Renfro was added to the Hall of Fame, according to Bleacher Report.

#3 - Jason Witten, TE

Washington Redskins v Dallas Cowboys

Jason Witten was drafted by the Cowboys in 2003. He went on to play for the Cowboys from 2003-2017. He retired to call games on Monday Night Football for a season before unretiring and returning to the Dallas Cowboys for an encore season. In 2020, Witten landed with the Las Vegas Raiders.

In 16 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Witten earned 1215 receptions for 12,977 yards and 72 touchdowns. He played 255 games with the team. His best season came in 2007 when he earned 96 receptions for 1145 yards and seven touchdowns.

#2 - Michael Irvin, WR

Dallas Cowboys vs Phoenix Cardinals

Michael Irvin was the best wide receiver in Cowboys history. He was drafted in 1988 and retired in 1999. His best season came in 1995, when he caught 111 balls for 1,603 yards and ten touchdowns. In total, his peak years ran from 1991-1998. At the end of his career, Irvin played in 159 games. He earned 750 catches for 11904 yards and 65 touchdowns.

#1 - Emmitt Smith, RB

Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants

Without Emmitt Smith, the Cowboys would not be the same team they are today. He was added to the team in 1990 and retired in 2004. He spent 13 years in Dallas. With the exception of his rookie season, Smith earned at least 1000 yards in each season with the Cowboys.

His best season came in 1995, when he earned 1,773 yards and a whopping 25 touchdowns. In total, Smith ran in 201 games for the Cowboys. He earned 17162 yards and 153 touchdowns in 4052 rushes. He currently holds the record for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in a career. This makes him the best Cowboys player of all time.