By Alex Al-Kazzaz
Micah Parsons had a tremendous rookie season. When the Dallas Cowboys drafted the former Penn State linebacker at 12th overall in the 2021 NFL draft, they found a player with the potential of fulfilling a role that Dallas has needed for a long time; a pass rusher.
After DE DeMarcus Lawrence suffered a broken foot before Week 2, Parsons was shifted to the position of DE. This is a position he is very familiar with since he played as DE in high school. Not surprisingly, he immediately excelled and he was able to perform very well as a pass rusher, which is what Dallas desperately needed. At one point, he was able to register a sack in six straight games, and his performance in Week 8 earned him the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award.
This is where Parsons began to strongly solidify himself as a fan favorite with a promising future with Dallas. In other words, he was establishing himself as a player that can do amazing things on the gridiron.
Parsons finished last season with a total of 13 sacks, which is now a Cowboys record for most sacks by a rookie. He was named to the Pro Bowl and was named the 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Since he's coming off such a brilliant rookie year, expectations are beginning to rise significantly for Parsons. At this point, expectations are simple. It's unfair to put up very heavy expectations as he's only entering his second year in the National Football League. Therefore, it's only reasonable that the most logical expectation is for Parsons to build off his rookie success. In other words, he needs to take his skills and career to the next level.
With Dan Quinn deciding to remain as defensive coordinator for Dallas, Parsons ought to benefit well from it. Parsons seems to be doing well under Quinn's defensive scheme, but he can't do it on his own. He needs his teammates to do their jobs to the best of their ability. While Parsons can certainly improve as an individual, it's for the team's best interest and future for the entire defense to improve and get better as a whole.
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