For the first time in what feels like forever, the Dallas Cowboys are entering the NFL regular season flying under the radar. Sure, people are still talking about them. They’re the Cowboys. But they aren’t garnering the same amount of public attention or scrutiny we have come to expect.
The proof is in their Super Bowl buzz. Or rather, the lack of it. As the folks over at OnlineSportsBetting.net point out, Dallas does not rank in the top 10 of odds to win Super Bowl LXI. That is fairly stunning when you consider the Cowboys continue to be the most popular NFL team on a national scale. The scale at which they are followed usually inflates their odds to win anything.
You know what, though? We consider this a good thing. At the very least, it’s interesting. The Cowboys are, anecdotally, less of a known quantity than in years past.
With this in mind, we’ve cobbled together three fearless predictions for the team ahead of NFL training camps opening for the 2026 season. These peeks into the crystal ball attempt to straddle the line between absurd and realistic while covering everything from entire-season accomplishments to developments that could transpire before Week 1.
The Cowboys will Have Three 1,000-Yard Receivers
Can you name the last time Dallas had three wide receivers tally 1,000 reception yards in the same season? No, you cannot. Because it has never been done.
As Nick Eatman and Kurt Daniels of the Cowboys’ official team website point out, Dallas came close in 2012 when two of three top pass-catchers hit the mark, but it’s never fully been done with three wide receivers.
Dallas’ crop of pass-catchers is stacked. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are guaranteed to rack up over 1,000 receiving yards. Both Ryan Flournoy and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have outside chances of clearing the same benchmark. You can even talk us into KaVontae Turpin hitting the touchstone.
Granted, we will need to trust that Dallas ferries the passing volume and distribution necessary to make it happen. And, well, this also feels like a given.
The Cowboys last season ranked third in total passing attempts and second in total yards. Heck, the more we think about it, the less this feels like a bold-enough prediction.
Both Lamb and Pickens met the criteria last season. And now, Flournoy and Turpin are each in line for more volume.
Dak Prescott Sets a Career-High for Passing Yards
Believe it or not, Dak Prescott is starting to feel underrated. In his return from a torn hamstring last year, the QB1 threw for 4,552 yards while completing 67.3 percent of his passes. It was just the second time in his career he has hit both of those statistical milestones in the same season.
Get ready for him to do it again. And then some.
Entering his age-33 season, Prescott remains firmly in his prime. What’s more, he arguably has more weapons around him than ever. His 404 completions led the NFL last year, and after attempting career-high 600 throws, it would not surprise us if he resets his own personal record again this season.
Of course, Prescott has his work cut out for him to set a career-passing high. His 4,552 yards through the air last season were his second-highest. He racked up 4,902 passing yards in 2019.
We nevertheless feel pretty good about this one. The 17-game schedule gives Prescott an extra game to compile stats (like last year), and the quality of the weapons around him could let him increase his completion percentage by a couple of more points.
Caleb Downs Wins Defensive Rookie of the Year
Yes, we know. The Cowboys’ defense was historically bad last season, surrendering 30.1 points per game, dead last in the NFL. That is precisely why this prediction qualifies as fearless.
Dallas traded up to select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs with the 11th overall pick, one of the most versatile defensive backs to enter the draft in years. He can play deep safety, slide into the nickel, and has a nose for the football that showed up on every scouting report. The Cowboys are already talking about using him everywhere.
Defensive Rookie of the Year tends to go to playmakers who rack up splash stats on bad-to-middling defenses. Think Micah Parsons in 2021, a Cowboys defender, for what it’s worth, racking up sacks on a unit that still gave up points in bunches. Downs does not need the defense around him to be elite. He needs opportunities, and a defense that will be on the field a lot is going to give him plenty.
If Downs can pile up a combination of interceptions, forced fumbles, and tackles the way his Ohio State tape suggests he can, the award is well within reach. A fearless prediction? Sure. But fearless predictions are the whole point.
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