Micah Parsons had fans of the Dallas Cowboys and media members buzzing when he was selected with the 12th overall pick back in April. Most thought the Cowboys would go the cornerback route. However, Patrick Surtain and Jaycee Horn were taken right before the Cowboys’ pick at 10, forcing them to trade back two spots to get Parsons.
There were questions on if the Cowboys made a mistake taking an off-the-ball linebacker so high. The former Penn State Nittany Lion has silenced all the doubters during the first two months of the 2021 season by being the swiss army knife for the Cowboys’ defense. So much so, that Fox Sports named Parsons its Midseason Defensive Rookie of the Year.
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At the midway point of the season, Parsons is currently second on the Cowboys with 52 tackles and tied for first with Randy Gregory for the team lead in sacks with five. That puts him on pace for over 100 tackles and 10 sacks as a rookie which would be quite the accomplishment. Parsons is the first player in NFL history with 50 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and five sacks in his first eight career games. Also, after his performance against the Denver Broncos last week, Parsons joined Hall of Famer Junior Seau as the only two players in NFL history with back-to-back games of 10 tackles and three tackles for loss.
Parsons has not only shown he’s one of the league’s best young linebackers with his sideline to sideline quickness and incredible instincts but he’s also put his hand in the dirt and has been effective rushing the passer from the defensive end spot as well as he showed once DeMarcus Lawrence went down with a broken foot after Week 1.
With Gregory now on injured reserve with a calf injury for the next three games and Lawrence still working his way back to the field, Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn may have to put Parsons on the edge more again to give the Cowboys’ defense some help rushing the passer. If that is the case, Parsons has already proven he can handle whatever his assignment is.
