FRISCO, Texas – There are six games remaining on the NFL schedule, meaning there is still plenty of work left to do for the Cowboys this season.
But the calendar has officially turned to December, which has always been the time of year when it seems appropriate to start looking down the road and see where the team stacks up in the playoff picture.
Collectively, this team is 8-3, the second-best record in the NFC and will need to catch the Eagles if they want to win the NFC East and perhaps gain the No. 1 overall seed.
That's where they are as a team. But individually, there have been plenty of standouts that have led the way in the Cowboys' reaching this mark after the first three months of the season. Some on this list are huge surprises, while others are exactly where we thought they'd be.
Many of the editorial staff at DallasCowboys.com submitted their votes as the best overall players on the team this year. There is no surprise at the top, but after that, it gets interesting.
We had six players that were deemed honorable mention:
- Dalton Schultz
- Tyler Smith
- Cooper Rush
- Peyton Hendershot
- Tyler Biadasz
- Jake Ferguson
Here are the players who made the list and we selected the Top 15 players on the team, through the first three months of the season.
The Cowboys have made it to 8-3 as we head to December because they're winning as a team. But our staff ranked the players individually and here's the best 15 players so far.
15. KaVontae Turpin – What a surprise considering he was not on a football team at the start of camp. But the USFL star has not only made an impact returning both kickoffs and punts, but he's proving to be a weapon even without the ball as teams have been kicking away from him to prevent the big play that always appears to be coming soon.
14. Jayron Kearse – Last year's leading tackler probably won't do the honors two straight seasons thanks to an injury that sidelined him for a nearly a month. But he still brings the physical nature and attitude needed for this defense, not to mention his hybrid role that lets Dan Quinn use him all over the field.
13. Leighton Vander Esch – He wasn't expected to be on this team in 2022, but after returning on a one-year deal in free agency, LVE is not only leading the team in tackles but has the defense "howling" around him once again.
12. Terence Steele – To think that all the question marks at tackle would be on the left side this year. Steele has solidified the right side and has proven to be one of the best run blockers on the team. The big question now is if and when the Cowboys will get his next contract done.
11. Ezekiel Elliott – Further down the list than he's used to being, but Zeke is definitely a big contributor to this team, especially when the tough yards are needed. He's not the playmaker as Tony Pollard, but there have been times – Thanksgiving Day to be exact – when Zeke was the better back of the two.
10. Donovan Wilson – He was supposed to be the third safety in the rotation but Wilson has been arguably the best of the three that includes Kearse and Hooker. Wilson makes plays all over the field, starting with the first game when he picked off Tom Brady. He might catch LVE for the team lead in tackles.
9. CeeDee Lamb – Have you noticed that Lamb has really turned the corner here in the last three weeks or so, playing his best ball of his career? Perhaps it's not a coincidence that it's about the same time the OBJ talk started surfacing. Lamb has said he wants Beckham Jr. on this team but it has seems to have lit a fire underneath him as well.
8. Dak Prescott – Easily the toughest player on this list to grade. He's missed nearly half the season due to injury and did have a really tough outing in Week 1 that contributed to the loss. His picks in Green Bay also aided to the loss. But since he's been back from injury, Dak has the offense rolling, showing just how complete of a team the Cowboys can be.
7. Dorance Armstrong – So back in March when the Cowboys said they weren't concerned about losing Randy Gregory because Dorance Armstrong's stats were comparable and everyone laughed. Yes, well maybe the Cowboys were way off. Armstrong's stats have indeed been far away above Gregory's best season. Armstrong has a career-high eight sacks and he's also blocked a punt and field goal. Gregory has been dealing with injuries in Denver and has two sacks.
6. Brett Maher – Another huge surprise as the Cowboys opted to bring Maher back, a move that didn't seem to excite anyone. Maher has since been nearly automatic, aside from his miss in the last game. Other than that, he's been exceptional and one that should be competing for a Pro Bowl spot.
5. Tony Pollard – Plain and simple, he's just a playmaker. Pollard has been the guy providing the home runs this year and he's also proving to be an every-down back, much more than anticipated. Pollard and Zeke are a great 1-2 punch, no matter the order they play. But without a doubt, Pollard has the big-play threat this team needs.
4. DeMarcus Lawrence – So he's not leading the team in sacks. And he's not even second right now. But the way "Tank" is playing on all levels, is the reason the Cowboys defense is turning the corner again. D-Law is one of the more complete players on the team, getting to the quarterback as well as playing the run.
3. Trevon Diggs – Less is more. That phrase should resonate with Diggs, who has just three interceptions after his record-tying 11 picks last year. But he's playing much better overall – to the point in which teams are choosing not to throw the ball his direction as much as last season. He probably won't get to 11 picks again this year – or any year for that matter – but it doesn't mean Diggs has taken a step back. In fact, he's been much better.
2. Zack Martin – A model of consistency – and he has been since the day he arrived in 2014. Martin doesn't look to be slowing down at all. He's the best linemen on the team by far and you have to wonder just how much he's helped the development to his left (Tyler Biadasz) and his right (Terence Steele).
1. Micah Parsons – Who else? Really, this is the No. 1 player on the defense, on the team, on any defense in the league and maybe on any other team in the league. Parsons wondered out loud last week why the NFL listed only quarterbacks when polling the fans about MVP candidates. And if he was referring to himself as being left off the list, is he wrong? He leads the team with 12 sacks, ready to shatter last year's mark of 13 sacks that made him the unanimous NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. You have to wonder if there's more hardware coming his way again.
