Player: Dak Prescott

Position: Quarterback

School: Mississippi State

Draft Status: Fourth Round, 135th Pick (Dallas Cowboys)

Dynasty Rookie Quarterback Ranking: #4

Prescott jumped on to the scene, playing a part-time role for a good Mississippi State team as a freshman in 2012. His first career score came against Tennessee on a 13-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Green in a 41-31 win over the Volunteers. He then followed that up with a five-yard touchdown run against Middle Tennessee State the following week. While Prescott's playing time was limited as a freshman, this gave us a brief example of the run-pass threat he posed. 

Following a Gator Bowl loss to Northwestern, starter Tyler Russell would be forced to share time with Prescott the following season. And once Russell went down to injury in November, the job was Prescott's. 

Dak would eventually go on to lead Mississippi State to a Liberty Bowl win over Rice, a game that saw him record five total touchdowns in a 44-7 win. 

This is how Prescott made his mark leading into his junior season, a year he would enter as the unquestioned starter for the Bulldogs. He responded by putting up over 4,400 total yards and 41 touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions. An early-season win over LSU in late September was Prescott's coming-out party. He recorded three total touchdowns and 373 total yards against a top-10 team on the road.

Mississippi State would then go on to defeat the sixth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies 48-31. That game saw Prescott complete 20-of-28 passes for 268 yards with two scores. He added 77 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. 

After finding themselves ranked No. 1 in the nation, the Bulldogs would then go on to lose three of their final four games. Their first loss came on the road against a fourth-ranked Alabama team in mid November. That game saw Prescott struggle extensively for the first time in his career, as he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble in the 25-20 defeat. 

When all was said and done, a junior season that seemed to have national championship expectations ended in a whimper with a loss to Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl. Despite this, Prescott proved his worth to the nation. 

Prescott would conclude his college career by leading Mississippi State to a 9-4 record and a 51-28 win over North Carolina State in the Belk Bowl. That was the culmination of a senior season that saw him put up 39 total touchdowns compared to just five interceptions. Overall in his final two seasons with the Bulldogs, Prescott led the team to a 19-7 record while tallying 80 total touchdowns compared to just 16 interceptions. 

Scouting Report

Strengths: Extremely quick delivery without much of a throwing motion at all. Plus-level NFL arm that enables him to make every thrown on the football field. Shows tremendous zip on intermediate routes, giving him the ability to fit the ball into tight windows. Held up well after being pounded in three seasons as the Bulldogs' primary starter, mostly due to his thick 230-pound frame. A threat on the ground, but also willing to keep his eyes down field when on the run. Doesn't always tuck and run when first read is covered. Tremendous leadership ability. 

Weaknesses: Primarily due to issues in pass protection, Prescott's accuracy dropped on intermediate routes and down the field this past season. His pocket awareness also took a hit, as the quarterback seemed worried about the pass rush too much. This led to an increase in short passes. Mechanics are a major issues here, especially his footwork. Needs to do a better job progressing past his primary read on a consistent basis. 

2016 Outlook

Barring another unfortunate injury to Tony Romo, Prescott won't even come close to seeing the field. In fact, it's likely the Cowboys will bring in a veteran to compete with Kellen Moore for the primary backup job in Dallas. This selection was more about two-to-three years down the road, not about 2015. Prescott simply isn't ready to make an impact as a player in the NFL. He's a projection pick. 

Dynasty Outlook

The reason we have Prescott so high in our rookie rankings is rather simple. There's a clear path to him becoming the Cowboys quarterback of the future. Even if he holds up from an injury standpoint, it's highly unlikely Romo will play more than three more years. This gives Prescott, as the only viable young quarterback on the roster, a clear path to the starting job. 

It's going to be all about him working under Romo and fixing the issues we saw during his college career. He couldn't have a better teacher on and off the field, which definitely plays a role here. In reality, Prescott's dynasty outlook, two-to-three years down the road, is really nice.