What did Emmitt Smith have to say about Dak Prescott? It's nice

Q: What did Emmitt Smith say about Dak Prescott?

Emmitt Smith offered high praise for Dak Prescott, recognizing his impressive performance in the previous season.

Q: Who might replace Dak Prescott on the Cowboys?

There is speculation among pundits about potential replacements for Dak Prescott, although specific names have not been confirmed.

Q: What draft sleeper is being praised for the Cowboys?

A potential offensive player who could be selected on the second day of the draft has received high praise as a draft sleeper for the Cowboys.

Coming off one of the best years of his career, Dak Prescott has mostly been out of the news, but a Cowboys legend tried to change that in a good way, while a pundit is speculating on his eventual replacement.

The Cowboys have handed out numbers to their new offseason acquisitions, and a potential offensive player Dallas could get on the second day just got high praise as a draft sleeper.

More: What Dallas Cowboy went to jail, and who are they trading for?

Jan 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) looks to pass during the second quarter against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Here is what Dallas is doing.

Dak Prescott Emmitt Smith

At least in terms of football, this has been a quiet offseason for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, but he did get a shout out from the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and Cowboy legend Emmitt Smith.

Smith appeared on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan and was asked how long Dallas can win with Prescott at quarterback, and Smith didn’t equivocate.

“Last year, the guy was a top-five QB,” Smith said. “Nobody wants to talk about that. When you have a sorry-ass defense like we had last year and you have Dak putting up the numbers he put up, all that is not on him... You don't have a defense. Defense wins championships. If the defense improved 20%, we win a little bit more and make the playoffs."

More: Dallas Cowboys latest mock draft has team trading up for player

In another bit of tangentially related Prescott news, a new mock draft out has Dallas drafting Prescott’s eventual replacement in the fifth round. Ben Solak did a mock entirely around the quarterback position and he suggests Dallas take Miami’s Carson Beck.

He starts by pointing out why Dallas needs someone else as a backup.

Solak writes: “The QB2 job is up for grabs in Dallas, with incoming Sam Howell battling incumbent Joe Milton III for the right to back up Dak Prescott. This is not a particularly thrilling QB2 battle. Milton is an inexperienced developmental QB who excites with his highlights but cannot be trusted for reliable play. Howell is a one-time starter who was traded twice last season as the Vikings and Eagles tried him out as a backup before moving on."

Of Beck, he writes: “When kept clean, Beck plays well within himself. He throws with anticipation and decisiveness, and he can flash high-caliber precision to pull receivers away from coverage when working between the numbers. Beck is very much a rhythm/confidence thrower who lets his mistakes compound, but he can also get into a pocket and throw with NFL timing and zip. This is a trait he shares with Prescott, who looks like the league's best quarterback when he's hot in the pocket.

“Some insiders report that Beck will go earlier than this, as he trades on a high recruiting status and plenty of postseason football under his belt. I remain dubious, as it's tough to find a cardinal trait for Beck to hang his hat on as a starting NFL quarterback. But Beck has maturity and big-game experience, and the Cowboys' past couple of forays into QB2 development have been heavily indexed on traits (Milton, Trey Lance) − it's time to zag back to the Cooper Rush side of the aisle.”

P.J. Locke, Rashan Gary, Cowboys free agents

Dallas' biggest move this offseason, as was the case last offseason, was a trade with the Green Bay Packers, though getting edge rusher Rashan Gary for a fourth-round pick probably didn't move as many needles as the 2025 Micah Parsons trade.

At any rate, Gary and seven of the other eight players Dallas has acquired this offseason now have numbers. Those were assigned Tuesday. Gary, by the way, is No. 7, a number worn for much of last year by Trevon Diggs (Gary was 52 at Green Bay).

They are:

1 — P.J. Locke
2 — Cobie Durant
7 — Rashan Gary
13 — Sam Howell
34 — Jalen Thompson
72 — Matt Hennessy
90 — Tyrus Wheat
91 — Otito Ogbonnia
TBD — Derion Kendrick

Of note, Tyrus Wheat's No. 90 was last worn by DeMarcus Lawrence.

Chris Bell

While all the buzz around Dallas in the upcoming draft is about defense, the Cowboys figure to use some picks on offense, and one player they've met with on an official 30-visit is Louisville receiver Chris Bell.

He blew out his knee in late November, causing his stock to plummet, and he should now be available on the second day. That could work out well for whoever takes him, as ESPN's Adam Rittenberg ranked him as a top sleeper pick.

He begins by quoting Louisville coach Jeff Brohm: The injury is "going to hurt his draft stock a little, but I really like him, he's a guy who can really shine at the next level. He's got a big, physical body. He runs well with that. He went from the third-best receiver to the second-most productive, to the most productive. He didn't shy away from the competition."

Rittenberg also quotes an anonymous ACC coach: "He was the best receiver in our league. He's a guy that, without the injuries, is definitely a top-80 pick."

Most mock draft scenarios in which Dallas takes a receiver do so by projecting the Cowboys trading George Pickens.

Dallas Cowboys 2026 schedule

The Cowboys' 2026 schedule is tentatively scheduled to drop on May 13, but Dallas already knows its 2026 opponents. One of their "home games" will be in São Paulo, Brazil.

Worth noting, Dallas has a game at Seattle next season, and traditionally, the Super Bowl winner opens the following season with a Thursday home game against a high-profile opponent.