It's a big year for the Dallas Cowboys as they will try to follow up a 12-win regular season. They will do so with arguably a lesser roster than last year's, yet it's a doable task. If they're to succeed, however, they will need these indispensable players on the team.

Here are the Top 5 players the Cowboys can't live without.

*Note: I excluded quarterback Dak Prescott from this list. Based on positional value alone, it's obvious Prescott would've been #1 otherwise, so why waste a spot? Instead, we'll focus on non-quarterback players.

5. RG Zack Martin

Martin is arguably the best player on the Cowboys roster. And he will be even more important for this offense as the unit has plenty of question marks inside and at tackle. Playing between Terence Steele and Tyler Biadasz, Martin will be absolutely essential for Dallas.

Coming off an All-Pro season in 2021, it's safe to say Martin remains one of the best linemen in the NFL. Even though some will question the positional value of a guard, Martin is just that good.

4. LT Tyron Smith

With the Cowboys' left tackle, it's all about remaining healthy. When he's on the field, Tyron Smith is still one of the most dominant tackles in the game. Even at 31 years old, the Cowboys' six-time Pro Bowler is one of the most indispensable players on the roster.

Dallas will likely go into the season with a couple of young backups at tackle in Matt Waletzko and Josh Ball and rookie Tyler Smith could end up being the main Plan B if Tyron were to be hurt.

Whoever becomes Tyron Smith's true backup, the dropoff at one of the most critical positions in the sport would be huge for the Cowboys.

3. CB Trevon Diggs

Even though the Cowboys saw great play from their three starting cornerbacks last year, it's clear that Diggs is on another tier than Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis. Whether or not Brown builds on what was a surprising year remains to be seen.

But if the Cowboys were to lose Diggs for multiple games, this secondary would be in big trouble. As a defense that plays a lot of man coverage, Dallas needs one of the best press corners in the league to be healthy.

2. LB Micah Parsons

It's crazy that we've gotten used to Parsons by now, but he ranks second here as he impacts two different positions. The Cowboys are thin at linebacker and edge rusher and without Micah, each position would be at a significantly worse spot.

The Cowboys' plan is to continue letting Parsons do a little bit of everything on defense. As a rookie, he helped Dan Quinn turn the ship around for one of the worst defenses in the league. He's a guy that can't be replaced.

1. WR CeeDee Lamb

In  2018, the Cowboys made an unorthodox bet by claiming they didn't need a #1 wide receiver to be successful on offense. That was proven wrong so early that Dallas had to make a midseason trade for Amari Cooper.

This time around, although they lost Cooper, things are different. There is a WR1 on the team. It's CeeDee Lamb. Michael Gallup will likely start the season on the sidelines as rookie Jalen Tolbert, James Washington, and other young wide receivers fight for playing time.

The one "safe" option at wide receiver in Week 1 will be CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys can't afford to lose him.

Featured image via Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports