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Valid post, and given the scale of DnD dragons I'd say that an adventurer is about the size of a cat relative to an adult dragon. IRL, a cat being able to attack you and successfully kill you would be pretty fucked up even if it's theoretically possible.
Incidentally however...
A cat in DnD does have the ability to reliably fight and kill a Commoner.
So what I'm saying is that it should actually be a valid plot to put humans in the position of some shitty media's dragons- once dominant, but through the power of one especially heroic housecat who has exceptionally strong plot armour, we are reduced to a dying race, ancient and forgotten by the new era.
More like a pride of lions bringing down an elephant, or maybe wolves on a bison.
1v1 dragon slaying would still be more like a badger taking on a tiger.
Player characters (as opposed to non d&d dragon slaying stories) aren't usually as ill prepared as a cat is vs a human, and rarely "hunt" alone. PCs have better weapons than claws and teeth, and the ability to coordinate attacks reduces the advantage of size and power the dragon has more than the comparison between a cat and a standard, unarmed human.
I do, however, love the idea presented :)
To use another IRL example, humans did drive the wooly mammoth to complete extinction with little more than sharpened rocks attached to sticks.
Humanity's ability of cooperation is a massive force multiplier and let's us accomplish tasks that would kill and individual.