Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys took a lot of criticism for giving up a first-round pick in a trade for Amari Cooper. But since adding the young wideout, the Cowboys offense has looked a lot better. Star running back Ezekiel Elliott, in particular, has been a big beneficiary.

Jones likens Cooper’s positive impact on Elliott’s performance to that of Hall of Fame Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin and his influence on running back Emmitt Smith.

“Well, I think I'm going to go back to Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin. Emmitt had a lot of his runs where he wasn't touched for the first three or four yards,” Jones told “Good Morning Football” per Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Dallas Star-Telegram.

“It's because [Troy] Aikman and Irvin had them backed off, and they knew if they didn't stay back then Aikman, Irvin and [Jay] Novacek would take them right down the field. Well, Cooper has done that for us. We got to keep them back off. When we do, then Zeke can basically have the kind of days we want him to have as a running back. So it's a balance thing — it always has been.”

The numbers speak for themselves. In three games with Cooper on the Cowboys, Elliott is averaging 167 yards from scrimmage. That's compared to 113 yards per game without Cooper. Quarterback Dak Prescott’s passer rating has also taken a noticeable step up since Cooper’s arrival, from 87.4 to 96.4.

Of course, Cooper is nowhere near as good as Irvin was then. But still, it’s telling just how much of an impact Cooper has made. He’s a significant upgrade from the Cowboys’ previous best receiver, and his mere presence has helped open things up for Elliott and Prescott. That’s obviously a positive sign moving forward as the Cowboys look to make a playoff push.