This season, the Cowboys will face many teams with top-tier talent. Dallas will face elite quarterbacks, monsters on the front seven and lethal skill players. Some of those players present a great threat. Others are just great players on a subpar team.
Here are all 14 of Dallas’ opponents ranked by their best player:
1. Buccaneers QB Tom Brady
Tom Brady will turn 45 years old before the season starts, and he’s coming off one of his better seasons. The 22-year quarterback nearly (and arguably should’ve) won MVP, setting an NFL record with 485 completions alongside a career-high 5,315 passing yards and 43 touchdowns.
Brady is the best player the NFL has ever seen and will be looking for his eighth Super Bowl this coming season. He’s 6-0 against Dallas and will play the Cowboys for the seventh time in 2022.
2. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers
Speaking of quarterbacks with historical success against Dallas, Aaron Rodgers comes in at No. 2. The Green Bay signal caller is coming off back-to-back MVP seasons after a year where he led the league with a 111.9 passer rating and 69.1 QBR.
Since becoming the Packers ‘ starting quarterback, Rodgers is 8-2 against the Cowboys. In 2022, he’ll be without star wide receiver Davante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. But that shouldn’t stop Rodgers from having another great season.
3. Rams DT Aaron Donald
Aaron Donald is one of, if not the greatest defensive player of all time. He’s a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, seven-time First-team All-Pro and an eight-time Pro Bowler. The only thing missing from his illustrious career was a Super Bowl, which he achieved last season.
In his last game against Dallas in 2020, Donald recorded one sack on four quarterback hits. Rookie guard Tyler Smith, center Tyler Biadasz and fellow All-Pro Zack Martin will try to contain him when the Cowboys face the Rams in week 5.
4. Titans RB Derrick Henry
Even after suffering a season-ending foot injury in week 8 of last season, Derrick Henry still finished ninth in rushing yards with 937. He could’ve gotten 2,000 rushing yards for the second straight season if he stayed healthy.
The Titans’ offense lives and dies by Henry, who will continue to be the team’s centerpiece. This will be Henry’s second time facing Dallas after rushing for 27 yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys in 2018.
5. Colts LB Darius Leonard
The best linebacker last season was Dallas’ Micah Parsons. The second-best was Darius Leonard. On his own, he compiled 12 takeaways last season, which was about 36 percent of the Colts’ total.
Leonard also earned his third First-team All-Pro selection and fourth overall. He’s established himself as one of the NFL’s best linebackers and will play Dallas for the second time in his career in 2022.
6. Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
After a great rookie season, Jefferson broke out in 2021 with 1,616 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Those stats earned him a second-consecutive Second-team All-Pro selection.
In two seasons, he’s become one of the NFL’s elite receivers. Jefferson will play the Cowboys for the third time in his career after recording five catches for 107 yards and one touchdown in his last two matchups. He’ll likely be guarded by Dallas cornerback Trevon Diggs again, who held him to just one catch for three yards when facing Jefferson last season.
7. Eagles C Jason Kelce
Jason Kelce is arguably the best center in football. Last season, he posted a Pro Football Focus offense grade of 84.5 and a run blocking grade of 89.0, both ranking third amongst centers.
Kelce will play his 12th season in 2022. All have been with the Eagles.
8. Bengals QB Joe Burrow
Last season, Joe Burrow came back from a torn ACL to lead the Bengals to a Super Bowl. He threw for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns, ranking second in the NFL with a 108.1 passer rating to beat out Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott for Comeback Player of the Year.
He also led the NFL with a 70.4 completion percentage in 2021. This will be Burrow’s first time facing Dallas, as that torn ACL kept him out of the Cowboys’ 30-7 win over Cincinnati in 2020.
9. Bears LB Roquan Smith
Roquan Smith is coming off his second consecutive Second-team All-Pro selection in 2021. He also finished last season with a career-high 163 tackles, ranking fifth in the NFL.
Smith has faced the Cowboys twice in his career, going 1-1. He recorded two tackles when the Bears last met Dallas, a 31-24 win for Chicago back in 2019.
10. Jaguars G Brandon Scherff
After seven seasons of facing the Cowboys twice with Washington, Brandon Scherff will take on Dallas again this season. He signed a three-year, $49.5 million contract this offseason after allowing zero sacks in 2022.
Scherff has been prone to injury, having not played a full season since 2016. But when he’s on the field, Scherff is one of the best guards in football.
11. Giants DL Leonard Williams
Saquon Barkley can get this spot when he can stay healthy. Right now, Leonard Williams takes the title of being the Giants’ best player.
Williams recorded 6.5 sacks in 2021, along with two forced fumbles. In addition, he also made a career-high 81 tackles and 14 quarterback hits.
12. Commanders WR Terry McLaurin
Terry McLaurin is one of the more underrated wide receivers in football. He stayed productive last season, catching 77 passes for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns.
In 2022, Mclaurin will have a new quarterback in Carson Wentz, who was acquired in a trade from the Colts. He’ll likely go up against Diggs again, who held him to one catch for 15 yards across two games. Diggs even got his 11th interception of the 2021 season while guarding McLaurin.
13. Lions TE T.J. Hockenson
T.J. Hockenson’s 2021 season was cut short due to a thumb injury in December, but he’s still one of the league’s better tight ends. Before he got hurt, he played 12 games, catching 61 passes for 583 yards and four touchdowns.
Hockenson will face the Cowboys for the second time in 2022. The last time he faced Dallas was in 2019 when he recorded just one catch for six yards in a 35-27 defeat.
14. Texans OT Laremy Tunsil
The Texans roster is below average, to say the least. Houston lacks premium talent across the board and may struggle to find wins iin 2022.
One bright spot on the Texans is Laremy Tunsil. Like Hockenson, Tunsil’s 2021 season ended due to a thumb injury in October. When healthy, though, he’s a solid contributor on Houston’s offensive line. Before getting hurt, he gave up zero sacks in 2021.
