The 2020 season has been a huge disappointment for Cowboys fans and there have been few standout players. Despite the poor overall performance there have some individual performances that have stood out. Here is a very short list of Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl candidates who deserve to represent the silver in blue among the leagues best.
ZACK MARTIN, GAURD
Zack Martin has established himself as one of if not the best offensive linemen in the entire NFL. This year, he was the last remaining member of the vaunted 2016 version of the Great Wall of Dallas still active and he was a force whether playing at his usual guard spot or when he moved to right tackle. He missed some time with injuries this season and his absence had a devastating effect for the Dallas Cowboys this season. Now that he is likely gone for the rest of the year, the top Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl candidate may not end up representing the team after all.
AMARI COOPER, WIDE RECEIVER
There is some stiff competition as usual to represent the NFC in the Pro Bowl. Julio Jones, Davante Adams, Adam Thielen, Terry McLaurin, DeAndre Hopkins, Allen Robinson, Mike Evans, Justin Jefferson, and the Seahawks duo of D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett to name a few. It is a coin toss as to whether or not Amari Cooper merits consideration but since he has produced despite catching passes from Andy Dalton, Ben DiNucci, and Garrett Gilbert for the majority of the season, I feel as though he has earned a place as perhaps the lone Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl nominee for 2020.
DEMARCUS LAWRENCE
DeMarcus Lawrence does not rank among the league leaders in sacks. Trust me, if you’re a Cowboys fan you don’t even have to look that up because fellow Cowboys fans will constantly remind you of that AND the size of his contract. Yet, D-Law has performed admirably on a defense that has struggled on all levels. Without a dominant interior presence, his sack numbers have been impacted but he has produced in terms of pressure rates and pass rush win%. Tank has also continued to be stout against the run. This not may impress many fans but Lawrence has been by far the best defender on the Dallas Cowboys throughout the entire season and is the only Cowboys Pro Bowl candidate that I deem worthy for the 2020 season.
OTHER NOTABLES
In my humble opinion, there is no other Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl candidates deserving of the honor. However, often players get voted in based on reputation or fan popularity. Jaylon Smith could be one of those players. Smith was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2019 despite having a far worse season than 2018. 2020 has been even worse for Smith but he does produce tackles and has had the benefit of being in the right place at the right time for a couple of lucky turnovers. That production along with his popularity could earn him a second Pro Bowl nod. Tight End Dalton Shultz is another player who could benefit from injuries to players such as Zach Ertz and George Kittle. Shultz has performed admirably in the wake of the injury Blake Jarwin sustained and is among the NFC leaders in receiving for tight ends. His production, the injuries to those key players at the position, and his fortune of playing for America’s team could be just the right ingredients to add yet another Cowboys Pro Bowl tight end to the franchise’s legacy.
*Photo by Joe Glorioso All-Pro Reelshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/legalcode
The only Pro Bowl worthy player on this roster is out for the year with a broken ankle.