Comparing Dak Prescott to a young Tom Brady

We compare the play of Dallas Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott to the first 11 starts of a young New England Patriots’ Tom Brady.

The play of Dallas Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott has been indeed been special. Having been selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, with a total of seven other quarterbacks selected before him, Prescott’s story is reminiscent of another late round pick that rose to the heights of the NFL’s elite: New England Patriots’ veteran Tom Brady.

Although Prescott’s play has been compared to other stellar quarterbacks like the Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger, Dak’s impact on the Cowboys and subsequently, the league as a whole, might be better compared to Brady. Especially when it comes to his intangibles.

“…actually, who Dak Prescott reminds me more of than anybody else is Tom Brady.” said Max Kellerman, co-host of ESPN’s First Take on Thursday. “Reminds me of a young Tom Brady, who had that look. The first time you saw Tom Brady you said ‘Who’s that guy?’ He had a look of a winner, the way he handled things…And that’s who Dak Prescott reminds me of more than anybody else…is only going to take what you give him, he’s big on third downs, he’s playing for a great team and he’s a winner.”

Through his first 11 games as a NFL starter, Prescott has completed 231 of his 340 passes (67.9%) for 2,835 yards, 18 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He also has 180 rushing yards and five more scores on the ground. The Cowboys are an amazing 10-1 with Dak under center so far this season.

Through his first 11 games as a NFL starter in 2001, Brady completed 212 of his 320 passes (66.2%) for 2,254 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The Patriots went 8-3 during his first 11 starts in New England.

So how do the two quarterbacks compare? Well, Prescott exceeds Brady in every meaningful category through their first 11 NFL starts. And what makes that feat even more astounding is the fact the four-time Super Bowl champion didn’t start a single game for the Patriot’s until his second season in the NFL. So Brady actually had the advantage of having a full season under his belt before becoming the starter under center, whereas Prescott is a pure rookie.

Obviously, Brady is a three-time Super Bowl MVP and has been elected to the Pro Bowl a whopping 11-times. So there is really no comparison with a first-year quarterback. But looking back on Brady’s initial impact on his team, and eventually on the entire NFL, it puts what Prescott’s is currently doing in Dallas in prospective. It truly is rare and very special.