3 reasons why the Dallas Cowboys should feel great about the Parsons-Cox combo at LB after debut
The Dallas Cowboys may not have left Canton, Ohio with a a "W" in the 2021 Hall of Fame Game, but they did leave with a good sense of how their rookies will play this upcoming season.
The Dallas Cowboys selected Parsons with the 12th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Penn State.The Cowboys then selected another linebacker, Jabril Cox, in the fourth-round out of LSU.
With both Parsons and Cox putting their stamp on the first NFL game of the preseason, it looks like the defense will be in a lot better shape in 2021 than in 2020.
Three reasons why the Dallas Cowboys should be impressed with Parsons and Cox after the HOF Game
#1 - Ranked as the highest graded players of the game
In just their first NFL game, the lights didn't seem to be too bright for either Micah Parsons or Jabril Cox.
In his first NFL series of his career, Parsons made a fumble recovery after Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph miffed a handoff to wide receiver Chase Claypool. Parsons' rating after the game was 78.8, which is impressive for a rookie.
Cox's rating was 76.7 which is impressive on its own merit. Cox led the Cowboys in tackles on Thursday night with five, four were solo tackles.
#2 - Roster availability
Sometimes when rookies perform well, it concerns their NFL team because there might not necessarily be room on the active roster for them to play a significant amount of time.
Last season, the Cowboys defense was riddled with injuries and inconsistencies, which led Dallas to drafting mostly defensive players in the 2021 NFL Draft. With Sean Lee retiring just days before the draft, Leighton Vander Esch is constantly battling injuries, allowing rookies to play alongside linebackers like Jaylon Smith is going to be a win-win for the Cowboys.
#3 - No learning curve
The Cowboys found themselves in a good position after Thursday night's Hall of Fame game. Records don't matter in pre-season, so a loss is a loss at this point. But they were also able to really dive into which positions need more depth and what positions have promising young players that can really make a difference.
Making the move from college football to the NFL can be tough for many rookies. But, it seems with Parsons and Cox, there isn't much of a learning curve. The two jumped into NFL play with no problem and left their mark. Parsons in particular is impressive seeing as he hasn't played in a football game since the 2019 Cotton Bowl, choosing to opt-out in 2020.