The Cowboys are rolling right now and have a chance to be suitable for a long time.
One thing the front office has done well for years is draft. ESPN asked members who write for the NFL to compile a list of the top 25 players under the age of 25.
Matt Bowen, Matt Miller, and Jordan Reid were tasked with creating the list. To qualify, players needed to be 24 years old or younger on Nov. 29, 2022. Three Cowboys players found their way into the list, and I am sure everyone can guess who No. 1 was.
1. Micah Parsons
Micah Parsons was the unanimous No. 1 among all three lists. Parsons is well on his way to winning his first Defensive Player of the Year award in his Sophomore season. Parsons, 23, is second in league with 12 sacks this season.
He is the third player since 1982, the year sacks became an official stat to record 12 or more in their first two seasons, joining Hall of Famer Reggie White and former Pro Bowler Aldon Smith.
I remember sitting by the TV on draft day and worrying about the Cowboys drafting Parsons, and I was not sold on if he could stay healthy. If not, I thought he’d become Sean Lee 2.0.
I have never been happier to have a player produce the way he has his first two seasons. He has helped turn a historically bad defense from 2020 into one of the BEST in football.
This team will be in good hands for a long time, with him leading the defense.
15. Trevon Diggs
The ball hawk, Trevon Diggs, landed at No. 15 on the list. In his two-and-a-half seasons, he has 17 interceptions. We all remember what he did a season ago by leading the league with 11, and he has three this season through the first 12 weeks.
Everyone around the media and the league said he couldn’t cover and be a shutdown #1 corner. Well, this season, he has proved all those doubters wrong. He is playing so well that teams aren’t even looking to throw his way anymore.
He has only been targeted 55 times and allowed 35 receptions. He held Justin Jefferson, one the best if not the best WR in football, to 33 yards on three receptions in week 11.
19. CeeDee Lamb
Rounding out the list for the Cowboys is WR1 CeeDee Lamb. Those 857 yards put Lamb in seventh in the NFL in receiving yards, but I remember when he couldn’t be a No. 1 guy…
Let’s remember he also played five games without Dak Prescott, who now has the number ONE offense in football since he returned. Lamb is on pace for his best season as a pro, and maybe Odell Beckman will join the team here soon.
Lamb is balling; no way around that.
Say what you want, but the Cowboys’ present and future are set up nicely with what they have going forward.
Dallas is 8-3, the fifth seed in the playoffs. They have everything right in front of them for the taking, regardless if they win it all this year. Those around the league know they aren’t going anywhere for a while.