Photo Credit: Dallas Cowboys
ARLINGTON, Texas – With the 12th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft the Dallas Cowboys select Micah Parsons, linebacker, Penn State…
Leading up to Day 1 of the draft, incessant chatter surrounded the cornerback position. Two names became synonymous with the Cowboys’ 10th overall pick: Patrick Surtain and Jaycee Horn. However, when both fell off the board in consecutive picks at No. 8 and No. 9, Dallas traded back and snagged the best defensive player available – Micah Parsons.
Fast-forward to Nov. 7 and both Parsons and Surtain will be on opposing sidelines at AT&T Stadium as the Broncos take on the Cowboys at noon. Surtain has been one of the Broncos’ best defenders, as the unit has struggled to generate a consistent pass rush. Denver traded Von Miller to the Rams and the squad will be without slot cornerback, Bryce Callahan. He suffered a knee injury against Washington and was placed on Reserve/Injured.
Earlier in the week, head coach Mike McCarthy was asked about the draw of Surtain during the pre-draft evaluation process. He noted, “What wasn’t there to like? He’s very mature. He had the length, the twitch, ball skills. He came from a really good program [Alabama]. You look at the makeup and I think he’s off to a great start.”
Surtain has established himself as a solid lockdown corner on the perimeter. Through eight games, he has amassed an interception and seven passes defensed in eight games. Surtain is on the path to becoming a top defender in the league, but the Cowboys received the superior immediate impact player for Dan Quinn’s scheme. The first-year defensive coordinator has built the foundation of the revamped unit on Parsons’ versatility.
Parsons is a frontrunner for Defensive Rookie of the Year and his position flexibility is what makes him a lethal threat and a nightmare for offensive coordinators to game plan around. He has the capability of playing all linebacker spots (Mike, Will, and Sam) on and off the ball, and can rush the passer in a two-point stance from the edge or over the center, bursting through the A-gap. Parsons is a dynamic blitzer and possesses rare instincts. His 4.36 speed has been on full display, translating into instinctual play from sideline-to-sideline. Parsons effortlessly gets off blocks to swarm ball carriers and explodes downhill. In addition, he has disrupted the opponent’s screen game, not allowing free releases to tight ends or running backs with sticky coverage off the line.
“It didn’t take very long to recognize his ability and just the way he fits and frankly the targeting issues he creates for the offense; the ability to play off the line at the traditional Mike and Will linebacker position, but also be an open end or a Sam outside linebacker,” McCarthy described. “So, he obviously has the characteristics and traits to play all those positions at a high level.”
Given Parsons heavy workload as a rookie, the fact that he opted out of the 2020 season, and his small sample size at Penn State as a linebacker – his dominance on the gridiron week-after-week is even more impressive. No. 11 has only scratched the surface.
