Dallas Fans Will be Surprised at 7 Cowboys in PFF Top 101

If the Dallas Cowboys truly employ seven of the 101 best players in the NFL, as Pro Football Focus, suggests ... well, that leaves just 93 spots for the other 32 teams to split. So ...

FRISCO - Let's get the downside out of the way first: If the Dallas Cowboys truly employ seven of the 101 best players in the NFL, as Pro Football Focus, suggests ... well, that leaves just 93 spots for the other 32 teams to split.

And that means the Cowboys roster is really, really good. Which also means - as you already know - the Cowboys roster in 2021, even at 12-5 during the regular season, underachieved.

Now to the PFF list, and to the debate:

4. Guard Zack Martin 2021 Snaps: 1,105 | 2021 PFF Grade: 94.3 - This is one of the highest O-line grades PFF has ever given. They write, "Martin has been the most consistent member of the Cowboys’ offensive line since he arrived in Dallas, and 2021 represents his best season.''

No argument about his excellence. We'll debate whether 2021 was tops. But no doubt - with Martin, there have been a lot of "top'' seasons.

10. Linebacker Micah Parsons 2021 Snaps: 960 | 2021 PFF Grade: 89.7 - PFF writes, "Few rookies have ever made the kind of impact that Parsons was able to this season in Dallas. ... He became a hybrid weapon on defense, giving the Cowboys rare flexibility upfront while forcing his way into the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year conversation.''

Cowboys Nation won't argue about Micah being a top-10 talent.

28. Tackle Tyron Smith 2021 Snaps: 754 | 2021 PFF Grade: 91.9 - From PFF: "At his best, Smith is arguably the best left tackle in the game. However, a career blighted by injuries has left us with a scant view of that player. ... He was outstanding when he did take the field, allowing 17 pressures across 515 pass-blocking snaps and earning a run-blocking grade of 90.0.''

So far, so good.

51. Tackle La'el Collins 2021 Snaps: 702 | 2021 PFF Grade: 85.7  - From PFF: "Another player who missed time but was outstanding when he did take the field, La’el Collins helped Dallas solidify its position as the best offensive line in the NFL over the season.''

Now we're starting to encounter problems. Dallas' was the best O-line in the NFL? It was?! We don't believe people inside The Star even think that.

57. WR CeeDee Lamb 2021 Snaps: 880 | 2021 PFF Grade: 84.9 - Writes PFF: "Lamb built on a strong rookie campaign with a season that saw him emerge as a true dominant force. For the second year in a row, he started on an incredible pace before his quarterback situation deteriorated and his production declined down the stretch.''

Lamb's talent is unquestionable. But we're a bit more careful with the hyperbole here. CeeDee was "a dominant force''? That's a bit much.

81. QB Dak Prescott 2021 Snaps: 1,113 | 2021 PFF Grade: 81.6 From PFF: "Before getting hurt, Prescott looked on his way to a ranking at the very top of this list, but he was never able to recapture the same form after returning from a calf injury.''

This is a lightning-rod pick, and PFF seems to know it, hedging its bet by noting the ups and the downs. Is Dak a top-101 player in the NFL? We say yes. But we understand why others would disagree ... because again, this much talent should do more than this group does.

95. G Connor Williams 021 Snaps: 963 | 2021 PFF Grade: 81.1 PFF writes: "Williams is one of the more polarizing players in the NFL. Fans often focus on his negatives, but the baseline of his performance, especially relative to the current state of NFL guard play, is actually high.''

There is a problem here. You won't find anybody inside The Star who agrees that Williams' performance level was "high.'' It's not "fans'' who "focus on the negative''; he got benched, remember?

And then there is the total take, not only of the seven (Dallas should be a more successful team with seven of the 101, as we've noted) but also with four of the five starting O-linemen all ranked this high.

PFF is simply wrong here - and the Cowboys themselves know it. The Dallas O-line, as a group, did enough to be part of the statistical marvel that was the Dallas offense in 2021 ... but played poorly enough to be a team weak spot, and a place where the people in charge of this team look to, as a source tells us, "reload.''

Are Cowboys fans not seeing the right picture because of a haze of disappointment? Possibly. Is PFF overrating the Cowboys because, by God, they're the Cowboys? Possibly.