Who are the 10 best Cowboys players of all time?

Updated Dec. 25, 2024 4:23 p.m. ET

The Dallas Cowboys are considered one of the greatest franchises in NFL history, dubbed as "America's team."

As one of four teams in league history with at least five Super Bowl titles, it's a franchise that has boasted numerous big-time stars over the years. This makes it particularly difficult to answer the question: Who are the greatest players in the team's history?

FOX Sports Research took on the task of answering this question, breaking down the numbers and ranking the 10 best Cowboys players of all time.

While there are some obvious choices near the top, there are also some surprising names that made our list when analyzing their performances. 

Where does your favorite Cowboy rank?

Let's take a look:

10. Jason Witten

One of the greatest tight ends of all time, Witten helped elevate the Cowboys' offense in the 2000s and 2010s. He was a Pro Bowl mainstay for much of his career, earning the honor 11 times in his 16 seasons with the Cowboys. He had at least 900 receiving yards in seven of those seasons, with the majority of them coinciding with winning years in Dallas. While Witten never won a Super Bowl in Dallas, he established himself as one of the game's greatest tight ends. He's second all-time among tight ends in receptions (1,228) and receiving yards (13,046) and sits sixth all-time in touchdown receptions among tight ends (74). In fact, his reception total is so high that it ranks fourth all-time, regardless of position.

9. Mel Renfro

Renfro was one of the first great players in the history of the Cowboys. Joining the team in 1964, Renfro immediately became an impact player as he earned his first of 10 straight Pro Bowl nods as a rookie. Toward the back half of that run, the Cowboys emerged as contenders. He helped them win two Super Bowls and reach another, where he recorded an interception in the 1970 NFC Championship Game, a play that allowed the Cowboys to score the game-winning touchdown over the 49ers. He led the league in interceptions in the season before that with 10, finishing his career with 52. That total is not only the fifth-most ever among safeties, but it's also the most in Cowboys history.

 

8. Michael Irvin

Irvin was one of the three players that made up "The Triplets" trio that was essential to the Cowboys' dynastic run in the 1990s. The Cowboys wide receiver was particularly essential to its Super Bowl win in 1992, recording six receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns in Super Bowl XXVII against the Buffalo Bills. Irvin was a five-time Pro Bowler, recording seven 1,000-yard seasons in an eight-year span during the 1990s. His career ended relatively early and abruptly due to a spine injury he suffered in the 1999 season, but it's clear that he asserted himself as one of the best players in Cowboys history with his importance to the three Super Bowl wins.

7. Randy White

The Cowboys had a pair of players ranked in the top 10 of FOX Sports' interior defensive linemen list. White was the lower-ranked of the two, but he had a stellar career in the 1970s and 1980s as he helped the Cowboys win another Super Bowl title in 1977. He earned co-Super Bowl MVP honors for his performance in that game, slowing down the Denver Broncos' offense in the win. That year also marked the first of nine straight seasons that White was named a Pro Bowler, putting up at least 10 (unofficial) sacks in five different seasons. He posted 111 unofficial sacks over his 14-year career.

6. Tony Dorsett

Dorsett also played a role in the Cowboys' 1977 championship season, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year to quickly establish himself as a franchise icon. He rushed for a touchdown in the Super Bowl win as well. In the next season, Dorsett earned his first of four Pro Bowl nods and had one of his eight top-10 finishes in rushing yards. That also marked one of the eight years that Dorsett rushed for at least 1,000 yards, putting up a career-best 1,646 rushing yards in 1981. Dorsett finished his 12-year career with 12,739 yards, which is the 10th-most all-time.

5. Larry Allen

Allen only got to be a part of one of the Cowboys' Super Bowl wins in the 1990s, getting drafted in 1994. But he still established himself as one of the best players in Cowboys history and one of the best offensive linemen in NFL history. He was an 11-time Pro Bowler and a six-time All-Pro over his 14-year career, earning 10 of those Pro Bowl nods over his 12 seasons in Dallas. Allen seamlessly moved along the offensive line throughout his career, earning Pro Bowl honors for his work at left tackle and guard throughout his Dallas tenure. His work along the Cowboys' offensive line made him one of the handful of players to ever be named to two NFL All-Decade teams, earning the honor for the 1990s and 2000s.

4. Bob Lilly

White's strong tenure dominating the interior defensive line for Dallas was preceded by Lilly's Hall of Fame career. Lilly was a Pro Bowler for all but three seasons in his 14-year career (1961-74), helping the Cowboys emerge as one of the game's top teams in its early seasons as an organization. After many seasons of contention, Lilly finally got over the Super Bowl hump in 1971. He helped Dallas win Super Bowl VI, with his 29-yard sack of Miami Dolphins quarterback Brian Griese being viewed as one of the key plays of the game. Lilly had at least eight (unofficial) sacks in five seasons, finishing his career with 95.5 sacks. Lily ended up becoming the first player ever inducted into the Cowboys' Ring of Honor.

3. Emmitt Smith

Not only is Smith arguably one of the greatest players in Cowboys history, but he's also arguably the best running back in NFL history. Smith was ranked No. 1 in FOX Sports' top-10 running backs list, as no running back has ever rushed for more yards (18,355) and touchdowns (164). His rushing prowess helped the Cowboys significantly in the 1990s, helping the team win three Super Bowls and form one of the game's top dynasties. His MVP win in 1993, where he rushed for 1,486 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games, is also the only MVP win in franchise history. That was one of the five seasons he rushed for at least 1,400 yards. He also won Super Bowl MVP for his 132-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl in XXVII.

 

2. Troy Aikman

Aikman steered the ship for the Cowboys' three Super Bowl wins in the 1990s, quarterbacking one of the game's most memorable offensive units. He might not have won an MVP like Smith, but Aikman was an efficient passer for his time. He was named a Pro Bowler six times, finishing in the top 10 in passer rating six times, in the top 10 in yards per attempt six times and finishing in the top 10 in completion percentage eight times in his career. That efficiency was on display in each of the Cowboys' three Super Bowl wins, completing 70% of his passes for an average 229.7 passing yards and a 111.9 passer rating. He particularly showed out in Super Bowl XXVII, throwing for 273 yards and four touchdowns to win MVP in their win over the Bills.

1. Roger Staubach

Earning several nicknames like "Roger The Dodger" and "Captain America," Roger Staubach's greatness helped the Cowboys become the nation's favorite team. He led them to four Super Bowl appearances and won two of them, most notably winning MVP in Super Bowl VI in 1971. Staubach's 85 wins from 1969 to 1979 is the most of any quarterback in that span, which earned him six Pro Bowl appearances and an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is also the only quarterback ever to win the Heisman Trophy and be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Bob Hayes
  • DeMarcus Ware
  • Drew Pearson
  • Charles Haley
  • Chuck Howley
  • Rayfield Wright
  • Zack Martin

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