For the third time in four NFL Drafts, the Dallas Cowboys selected an offensive lineman in the first round (16th overall) when they picked Zack Martin from Notre Dame in 2014. Martin joined Cowboys first round picks Tyron Smith (2011) and Travis Frederick (2013) as the building blocks for the future of the franchise. In his first season, Martin did not disappoint and was a key part in the league's second-ranked rushing attack. Martin became the first rookie in club history to start all 16 games at right guard and the fourth rookie on the offensive line to start all 16, and he earned a Pro Bowl spot - the only offensive rookie in the NFL in 2014 and the first Cowboys rookie lineman to make the game. He also earned All-Pro honors, becoming only the third rookie in team history to do so. He again manned the right guard spot in 2015, starting all 16 games and earned his second straight Pro Bowl nod and All-Pro honor. In 2016 Martin was part of an offensive line that led the way for the league's leading rusher (Ezekiel Elliott, 1,631 yards) and the NFL's second-ranked rushing attack. En route to his third straight Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections, Martin & Co. also helped rookie quarterback Dak Prescott establish league rookie records in quarterback rating (104.9) and completion percentage (67.8). Behind the line, Prescott became the second player with 3,500-plus pass yards and less than five interceptions (Tom Brady, 2010 and 2016). The 2017 season was a continuation from his previous three as Martin earned his fourth straight trip to the Pro Bowl, starting all 16 games. Martin then earned his fifth straight Pro Bowl selection following a 2018 season that saw him anchor a line that opened holes for the NFL's rushing leader - Elliott (1,434 yards). The 2019 season was virtually a broken record for Martin as the sixth-year pro earned his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl selection to tie John Niland and Nate Newton for the second-most appearances by a Cowboys guard. Martin was also named a first-team All-Pro after blocking for an offense that led the NFL with a club single-season record 6,904 total yards. Dallas also established a club record for total first downs (379-third in the NFL) and logged the second-most passing yards (4,751) in franchise history while allowing the second-fewest sacks in the NFL (23.0). He was limited to 10 games in 2020, missing six with injury. Martin then strung together another dominating campaign in 2021, earning a spot on the NFC's Pro Bowl roster - his seventh career selection - while also being named to his fifth All-Pro team. He continued his paramountcy of the guard position in 2022, starting all 17 games, garnering his eighth Pro Bowl selection - tied with Tyron Smith for the second-most selections by a Cowboys offensive lineman behind Larry Allen's 10 - and earned first-team All-Pro honors for this sixth time in his career.
