Cowboys Stars Dak Prescott, George Pickens Predicted to Dominate NFL in 2026

Offense came easy for the Dallas Cowboys in 2025. In their first season under head coach Brian Schottenheimer, they finished seventh in the league in scoring and second in total yardage.

While they were well balanced and finished in the top 10 in rushing and passing yards, they were still more dangerous through the air, finishing second in passing yards. That’s not surprising at all considering they had the trio of Dak Prescott at quarterback with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens at wide receiver.

Prescott and Lamb have been a dangerous duo for years but Pickens took the offense to another level. They’re now entering the 2026 season with uncommon continuity as all 11 starters are returning and that’s leading to some bold predictions.

Dak Prescott predicted to lead NFL in passing yardage, touchdowns

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott throws the ball at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Prescott is ready to make a splash this season and has been openly discussing the team’s goal of reaching the Super Bowl. While some might scoff at such a goal, SI.com’s Gilberto Manzano thinks this approach from Prescott will lead to big things as he’s predicting him to lead the NFL in passing yardage and touchdowns this year.

”Prescott put pressure on himself to deliver in 2026 after openly talking about the Super Bowl and aiming to have the greatest offense there is (GOTI),” Manzano wrote.

“I’ll buy what Prescott is selling and predict that he’ll back up his words this season. He has arguably the league’s best receiving tandem with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Also, Brian Schottenheimer proved last year that he can run a high-scoring offense (27.7 points per game) despite having more on his plate as head coach.”

Manzano noted that the NFL passing yardage leader in each of the past two seasons has also led the league in touchdown passes. He sees that happening again and while Prescott would likely need to set a new career high to achieve this goal, Manzano believes he has the supporting cast to pull it off.

George Pickens predicted to be NFL touchdown king

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens catches a touchdown pass against the Los Angeles Chargers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One reason Manzano believes Prescott can lead the league in touchdown passes is the way he and George Pickens performed together. They had instant chemistry which led to career-highs for Pickens.

They now enter this season with more familiarity and Pickens has the ultimate motivation since he’s playing on the franchise tag. That combination has Manzano predicting Pickens as the leader in touchdown receptions this year.

“Pickens could top his breakout 2025 season, when he recorded 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns during his first year in Dallas. He has plenty of motivation to surpass those career numbers because he’s playing on the franchise tag,” Manzano wrote.

Pickens led the team with nine touchdown receptions in 2025, and will have to contend with Lamb, Jake Ferguson, and Ryan Flournoy when it comes to touchdown catches in this offense. Despite all the talent, Pickens showed a knack for getting open in the end zone, making this an intriguing prediction to keep an eye on.

— Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI —

Add us as a preferred source on Google