New Cowboys coach could help talented defender reach new heights in 2024 NFL season
Last week during Dallas Cowboys mandatory minicamp, superstar Micah Parsons made a significant comment when discussing the team's lack of offseason moves, claiming the team had many All-Pros plus more guys who could make a jump in 2024.Specifically, he claimed there were three guys he "knows" can be All-Pro, and mentioned two of them by […]
Last week during Dallas Cowboys mandatory minicamp, superstar Micah Parsons made a significant comment when discussing the team's lack of offseason moves, claiming the team had many All-Pros plus more guys who could make a jump in 2024.
Specifically, he claimed there were three guys he "knows" can be All-Pro, and mentioned two of them by name.
"We've got at least three (other) guys I know can be All-Pro, I think (Jake) Ferguson can be All-Pro, I think a lot of guys are going to have breakout years," Parsons told reporters. "Tyler Smith I think will be a first-team All-Pro this year."
I wrote a story on Sunday diving into the couple of examples provided by Micah but was left wondering: Who is the third guy he believes can make the jump?
After a quick glance at the Cowboys roster, I came up with only one true candidate for such a breakout year: Defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa.
Can Osa Odighizuwa win All-Pro in 2024?
Let's face it: It'll be a major achievement and require a jump from what he's done in previous years but he's shown flashes of dominance so far in his NFL career. In 2023, Osa finished with the 12th highest pass rush win rate among interior defensive linemen, per PFF. He was also Top 20 in run defense grade.
None of this, however, will win Osa All-Pro honors. Just like the tally of sacks at the end of the season has cost Micah Parsons Defensive Player of the Year awards, the Cowboys defensive tackle needs sacks to make the All-Pro squad.
Last year, Aaron Donald and Chris Jones made the first-team with eight and 10.5 respectively. Osa has never reached five in his three years in the NFL.
But there's good news: Odighizuwa might benefit from Mike Zimmer's way of doing things.
While Dan Quinn seemed to fixate on getting Micah Parsons freed up on one-on-ones, it sure sounds like Zimmer will try to get Parsons to free up others on one-on-ones. Not that one way is wrong and the other is right, but Zimmer's could help Osa get to the quarterback much more often.
