"Right now, he is the NFL's best rookie!" - Hall of Famer Michael Irvin praises the play of rookie Micah Parsons
With the 12th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons to help a porous defense. That pick has already paid off dividends, with Parsons helping to deliver a 20-17 victory Sunday over the Los Angeles Chargers.
And if Hall of Famer Michael Irvin has his say, the NFL Rookie of the Year debate may already be over after Week 2.
Despite the narrow win, the Dallas Cowboys were without their top two defensive lineman in Randy Gregory and Pro Bowl defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. The absence of these two important pass rushers put the Cowboys in a bit of a problem before the game began: How would they put pressure on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and an offensive line that controlled the Washington Football Team's dominant pass rushers the week before?
Micah Parsons to the rescue
The answer came in the form of Micah Parsons. With the aggressiveness to attack relentlessly combined with his 4.39, 40-yard dash time from the 2021 NFL combine, it seemed like a natural fit to have Parsons to play the edge and rush the passer.
Before the game, the last time that Parsons suited up to play on the defensive line was back in high school. However, the results turned out to be incredible. As it turned out, in Week 2, there was only one player that registered four quarterback hits along with a sack and Micah Parsons was indeed that player.
In Week 2, only one NFL player had 4 QB Hits and a Sack.
That player was Micah Parsons.
Parsons is a LB who was playing his first game at Defensive End since high school. https://t.co/I70xZSHg0u
The Playmaker makes the case for Parsons
Former Dallas Cowboy and Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael "the Playmaker" Irvin was asked about the play of Parsons and he had some really high praise, not only for Parsons' play during the game, but for his current status as a rookie in the NFL.
When speaking to TMZ on Monday, here's what Michael Irvin had to say: "Baddest boy out there, Micah Parsons. Bad boy. God almighty, that man a bad boy. Right now, he is the NFL's best rookie!"
And if the game against the Los Angeles Chargers wasn't enough, also take a look at Parsons' play in the Week 1 opener vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Instead of rushing the passer, Parsons was tasked with playing in open space and covering receivers that may have run into his zone.
It's this type of ability that makes Micah Parsons a true chameleon on the football field. And if you ask him, his current NFL position isn't even his best.
Micah Parsons: “I am a true defensive end. I just have enough athletic ability and enough intellectual ability to play linebacker at a high level.”
From interview with @Jordan_Reid
thedraftnetwork.com/articles/2021-… https://t.co/jjve7eRR4w
"I am a true defensive end. I just have enough athletic ability and enough intellectual ability to play linebacker at a high level." If this holds true, Micah Parsons may even be chasing quarterbacks from the edge when Lawrence and Gregory return.