With the No. 135 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected quarterback Dak Prescott of Mississippi State.
Dak Prescott lands with Cowboys in 4th round
Prescott was drafted despite an arrest for driving under the influence weeks before the NFL Draft.
Considered a high-ceiling but low floor player, Prescott is expected to face a tough transition to the NFL. Prescott was considered one of the “second-tier” quarterbacks in this year’s draft, alongside guys like Paxton Lynch and Cardale Jones, but well behind the top players in Jared Goff of Cal and Carson Wentz of North Dakota State.
Experts suggested that this year’s quarterback class was weaker than those in year’s past overall, with Goff and Wentz being the only NFL-ready players. Prescott was always a player that needed to sit for some time before getting an opportunity to start in the NFL.
Prescott was the best quarterback in Mississippi State history, at least according to the record books. He holds all of the major passing record for the school, including total yards, touchdowns, completions, completion percentage, passing efficiency, lowest interception percentage and many more. He had nine 300-yard passing games, also a record for the school.
A scrambling quarterback, Prescott is lauded for being able to extend the play even in the most dire situations. Observe:
In his first year as a starter, he led Mississippi State to a 10-2 record and a spot in the 2014 Orange Bowl, though the Bulldogs fell to Georgia Tech in that game. In his senior season, he became the fourth player in FBS history to pass for 60 touchdowns and rush for 40 touchdowns in his career, joining Dan LeFavour, Tim Tebow and Colin Kaepernick.
He got a second opportunity at leading his team to a bowl game when the Bulldogs faced the NC State Wolfpack in the 2015 Belk Bowl, and he dominated. He threw for 380 yards with four touchdowns and led his team to a dominant 51-28 win.
Unfortunately, Prescott did falter during the offseason. Weeks before the NFL Draft, Prescott was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. He apologized for the incident, naming his supporters, his family, Mississippi State, the NFL and the “kids who look up to me.” Prescott said that he would “show the true man I am and exhibit my character through my actions and behavior moving forward.”
Whether or not off-field issues will become a trend for him remains to be seen. What is known is that he has excellent awareness, can use his eyes to fool defenders, and he has a strong arm. On the downside, he’s still raw as a passer, lacks consistency and depends too much on his legs for an NFL quarterback.
The weaknesses and his off-field issues were not enough to stop him from getting drafted, at the very least. It’s up to him to earn his way into a starting role and a productive NFL career.
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