There were a lot of people that believed the Dallas Cowboys had a steal on their hands when they selected linebacker Micah Parsons with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. A steal would be an understatement and Parsons is not only one of the best linebackers in the NFL already, but one of the best defensive players in the NFL.
Part of what makes Parsons so special is his ability to fill different roles. Dallas can use him as a versatile chess piece, moving him all over the field. Need him to play in space as a pass defender or sideline to sideline chasing ball carriers? He is more than capable of doing it.
However, arguably his best strength is getting after the quarterback. Mike McCarthy has said that they will not deploy Parsons solely as a pass rusher, but with how dominant he is in that area, it is something they may have to discuss doing.
Against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2, Parsons pass rushing skills were on full display. He racked up eight pressures in the game and two sacks. His 22.9 percent win percentage was also very impressive. The stat updates were provided by PFF.
A porous Bengals offensive line was no match for Parsons, who put holes in them as if they were swiss cheese. He added five quarterback hits and four solo tackles, two of which went for a loss.
He is now up to four sacks, four tackles for a loss and seven quarterback hits on the season. Parsons is one of the most vaunted pass rushers in the NFL and while he is an integral part of the team’s overall defensive scheme, they will have to consider unleashing him as a full-time pass rusher sooner than later.
If that were to occur, Parsons would likely put himself in a position to take down some records. He totaled 13 sacks as a rookie rushing the pass part-time and this season he already leads the league with four.
You can be sure that we will see him rushing the passer more and more as the season goes on. There is just no reason for the Cowboys to withhold a weapon of that caliber defensively when Micah Parsons can wreak havoc on opposing offenses consistently getting into their backfield.
