It was Micah Parsons‘ lifelong dream to play for the Dallas Cowboys even if he is from Pennsylvania and played for Penn State.
His prayer was answered when the Cowboys took him with the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
He also made sure that his potential was not all wishful thinking.
Parsons contributed from the get-go and even filled in for DeMarcus Lawrence at defensive end.
After his first regular season, he finished with 64 solo tackles, 13 sacks, three forced fumbles, and three passes defended.
Those numbers earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl and the First-Team All-Pro.
He was also included in the All-Rookie Team of the Pro Football Writers Association.
But coming into year two, it seems like the Cowboys are defining his role even further.
Sounds like the Cowboys’ recent addition of veteran OLB Anthony Barr will be opening the door for Micah Parsons to get even more opportunities to rush the passer. Parsons had 13 sacks during his NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year season
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 4, 2022
The Athletic’s Jon Machota tweeted, “Sounds like the Cowboys’ recent addition of veteran OLB Anthony Barr will be opening the door for Micah Parsons to get even more opportunities to rush the passer. Parsons had 13 sacks during his NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year season.”
Last season, Parsons was doing too much from covering a portion of the field to rushing the other team’s quarterback.
This time, Barr will take care of the coverage while Parsons has the free rein to rush the passer.
Speed Kills For Parsons
For comparison, Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt has a listed weight of 252 pounds.
Meanwhile, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett weighs 272 pounds.
However, Parsons’ listed weight is only 248 pounds which is more ideal for a linebacker.
But he cleanly gets off the edge to tally a sack.
It’s that burst of speed that makes him difficult to block.
The Cowboys would like to maximize his speed to give the other team a tough time.
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