The Cowboys’ No. 3 has been worn by a pretty crowded mix of quarterbacks, kickers, and receivers over the years, but the answer at the top of the list comes down to one season and one huge statistical burst.
Jon Kitna would be the pick if the choice leaned quarterback. He spent parts of four seasons in Dallas and gave the Cowboys steady work in 2010 when Tony Romo broke his clavicle, going 4-5 in nine starts while completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 2,365 yards with 16 touchdowns in 10 total appearances.
If the spotlight shifted to a kicker, Richie Cunningham would make a strong case. He had his best run in 1997, when he earned First-Team All-Pro honors after making all 24 of his extra-point tries and 34 of 37 field goals.
But the official choice is George Pickens, and it’s hard to argue with the production. Even though he has only been with Dallas for one season so far, that one year was enough to put him over the top as the best Cowboys player to wear No. 3.
Pickens arrived in Dallas after three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where the second-round pick from 2022 put up 174 catches for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had been productive, but not quite in the elite tier, and behavioral concerns followed him into the conversation when Jerry Jones brought him in ahead of the 2025 season to give Dak Prescott a real WR2 alongside CeeDee Lamb.
Pickens was originally set to wear No. 13, but he switched numbers with Dante Fowler Jr. and settled into No. 3.
From there, he delivered a season that stood out in Cowboys history. He played all 17 games in 2025 and posted career bests across the board with 93 receptions, 1,429 yards, and nine touchdowns.
That production earned him his first Pro Bowl nod and Second-Team All-Pro honors.
Some of his biggest games came while Lamb was injured, but the numbers still land the same way: Pickens had the fourth-most receiving yards in a single season by any player in Dallas franchise history. That’s a serious place to live in a team with as much passing talent as the Cowboys have had.
Whether Pickens stays in Dallas long term after playing the 2026 season on the franchise tag remains to be seen. For now, though, he owns the title as the best player to wear No. 3 for the Cowboys.
In Other News...
Cowboys Quietly Found The Veteran Caleb Downs Needed Most
For a rookie safety trying to get his footing in the NFL, the Cowboys have found a useful voice in the meeting room and on the practice field. Caleb Downs has been leaning on veteran help as he adjusts to the speed of the league and to Christian Parkers defensive scheme, and the extra work after practice has given him a chance to slow things down and sort out the details that can get lost in a hurry once the pads come on.
The value goes beyond simple repetition. The veteran guiding Downs already understands Parkers system and brings the kind of versatility Dallas wants in the secondary, which makes the teaching more practical than theoretical. For a defense still trying to define its leadership, that kind of steady presence matters, even if the bigger test for Downs is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Jerry Jones Faces Another Massive Cowboys Decision On Quinnen Williams
Quinnen Williams is only getting started in his first full season with the Cowboys, but his place in Dallas already looks like one of the more important long-term questions on the roster. The defensive tackle arrived with the kind of impact pedigree that makes front offices think ahead, and the Cowboys have never been shy about extending key players early when it helps them manage cap flexibility and avoid a pricier problem later.
Jerry Jones may be looking at that same playbook again, because Williams value at his position keeps climbing and the market for interior defenders is only getting tougher to navigate. Dallas can wait and see how the season unfolds, but there is a real incentive to get ahead of the next wave of defensive tackle deals before Williams price tag rises even more. [Read more 🡒]
Traeshon Holden Is Forcing His Way Into A Cowboys Camp Battle
Traeshon Holden entered last years Cowboys camp as a name to watch, and he has kept himself in the conversation heading into this summer. The second-year receiver reportedly sat higher on the depth chart during minicamp than many around the team expected, a sign that his strong moments from a year ago have carried over enough to matter in a crowded receiver room.
Holden still has work to do before he can turn that momentum into a roster spot. Dallas wants more from him as a blocker and on special teams, the same areas that kept him from carving out a clearer role last season, but the path looks more open now with some moving parts in the receiver group. If he keeps building on what he showed in camp, he could make the final decision a lot harder than it looked a few months ago. [Read more 🡒]