(Photo: The Dallas Morning News)
8. Micah Parsons: Two players are in with another set to be revealed today. The offense claimed both the tenth and ninth spots, and as usual, the offense is once again dominating. Now, the defense is set to get a little love. Who I’m about to break down now has become one of my favorite players not only to talk about, but watch. Since he’s come into the league, he’s established himself as one of the best in the business (pun intended). The Cowboys defense is one of the best in the league in and he’s a big reason why. Micah Parsons made his debut last year on this list and he’s back for the second consecutive year. He’s my first defensive player to be revealed, claims the eighth spot on the list, and is my fourth-ranked defensive player in the league today.
This guy is the real deal and is only getting better by the year. I remember his rookie season and he had an immediate impact on this Cowboys defense. Often, people ask me to think of a word when it comes to Micah and the one that immediately comes to mind is energy. Playing with those energetic guys can be contagious because it can rub off on you which isn’t a bad thing. These are the guys you want to play with. Micah is as gifted of a player in the NFL as there is. His pass-rushing moves are already drawing comparisons to many of the greatest pass-rushers ever to play the game. He’s been compared to Lawrence Taylor which is something considering how great LT was and the mark he left on the game. I’ve seen Micah singlehandedly throw Offensive Tackles similar to Reggie White. On the edge, he’s so relentless and his pursuit of the ball is what sets him apart from many other defenders in the game today. Micah can beat you in so many different ways. He had that 4-3 speed coming out of Penn State so quickness is one of his strengths, but he knows how to dip and he plays low considering he’s 6’2 which leads me to what coaches always say in practice: The lowest man wins and this is exactly why Micah can win many of his battles in the trenches. Combine the athleticism along with his motor and that creates so many problems. How about the versatility Micah displays? He plays everywhere! Off the edge, in the box, and can also drop back in coverage to defend the pass. He’s one of those guys you must know where he is at all times and circle in on him.
He’s been their best defensive player since the days of Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware and I see some similarities in the impacts they’ve had on the Cowboys’ defense. What’s scary to me is Micah is only 24 years old and has yet to reach the prime of his career. Look at how good he’s been since coming into the league and imagine how scarier he’ll be in due time. He was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021 and won the award unanimously which is a first. I see a few Defensive Player of the Year awards in his future. He’s finished runner-up twice in his career.
