5 Greatest Running Backs in Cowboys History

The Dallas Cowboys have a storied history that has provided the NFL with many legendary players and moments. Their recent dominance running the ball shouldn't surprise fans, either, as they have consistently had some incredible play at the running back position.

With that in mind, here are the five greatest running backs in Cowboys history.

Best Dallas Cowboys Running Backs of All Time

5. Don Perkins (1961-68)

Considered to be more of a full back in a different era of the game, Don Perkins powered his way to 6,000-plus rushing yards as a Cowboy. He burst onto the scene as the NFL Rookie of the Year in 1961 and followed that season with three All-Pro performances and six Pro Bowls throughout his career. Perkins is now a member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, with 42 touchdowns in 107 games played.

4. Herschel Walker (1986-89, 96-97)

As more of a modern style NFL running back than one of the 80's and 90's, Herschel Walker was a true dual-threat. Some of his best professional play came early in his career, with Dallas from 1986-89. In 1987 and '88 in particular, Walker made Second-Team All-Pro and dominated in total scrimmage yards with 1,606 and 2,019. In 1987 he even led the entire Cowboys offense in both rushing and receiving yards. As a Cowboy he amassed a total of 3,491 rushing yards and 2,556 receiving yards.

3. Ezekiel Elliott (2016-present)

The newest great Cowboys running back is already up there with the best in franchise history. With 7,386 rushing and 2,224 receiving yards in his first six seasons, Ezekiel Elliott has been a constant driving force of this Dallas offense since entering the league. His 56 rushing touchdowns already rank third in franchise history, as do his 83.9 yards per game. Zeke may be coming off a couple down seasons, but as a First-Team All-Pro and a two-time NFL rushing leader he's already established himself as a franchise great.

2. Tony Dorsett (1977-87)

Drafted as the second overall pick in 1977, Tony Dorsett lived up to the expectations for Dallas. He is second in franchise history in rushing yards, with over 12,000 to go with 72 touchdown. As a member of the Cowboys Ring of Honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dorsett had a spectacular career with many accolades from Running Back of the Year in 1981 to Super Bowl Champion. After 11 years with Dallas, Dorsett only played one season away from the Cowboys.

1. Emmitt Smith (1990-2002)

It cannot be debated, Emmitt Smith is the greatest Cowboys running back of all time. Surpassing him will be no easy feat either. Not only were his stats as a Cowboy out of this world (17,162 rush yards and 20,174 scrimmage yards with 153 touchdowns and 85.4 yards per game), but he was a winner too. Smith was part of the Dallas dynasty that won three Super Bowls in the 90's, he was even Super Bowl MVP for one of the championships. Add an NFL MVP Award, four First-Team All-Pro honors, Offensive Rookie of the Year and countless other accomplishments to his tally and Smith goes down as an NFL legend. It's no surprise that he is a member of the NFL 100th Anniversary All-time Team and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Michael Obermuller is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Michael Obermuller also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username king_mizzard. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.