DALLAS – The Cowboys have transitioned from being a team that went as their offense goes to riding the coattails of their defense. On the frontline is linebacker Micah Parsons, who took the NFL by storm in 2021 with his diverse skill set.

Parsons made his presence known not just as a linebacker on the second level but getting to the quarterback by accumulating 13 sacks, all while being a part-time rusher. That means Parsons caused a lot of havoc for opposing offenses, and he was ranked as the fourth-best disruptor (first in the NFC) for the 2021 season according to a formula via Next Gen Stats.

"Parsons wasn't an every-down rusher — he was primarily an off-ball linebacker — which sparks an interesting debate when it comes to this exercise. With less pass-rushing responsibility, Parsons might have benefitted from being assigned to get after the quarterback in more advantageous situations. But the flip side of that argument is the reality that he was rushing less, meaning he had fewer chances to make an impact in that facet of the game. And he certainly maximized those opportunities.

"Parsons fell short of the gross totals posted by most of the players listed here when it came to quarterback pressures, but he led the league in quarterback pressure rate at 21.1 percent. He finished with 13 sacks, getting home on 4.7 percent of all pass rushes — good for third-best in the NFL. Add in the four turnovers caused by pressure, and Parsons proved to be quite the disruptive defender in his rookie season."

Without serious pass-rushing duties at Penn State, Parsons performing as well as he did as an edge rusher during his rookie campaign with the Cowboys was quite impressive. He was named Defensive Rookie of the Year, and with all the ways he's used, some felt he and not T.J. Watt should have won Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Parsons had the type of rookie season that's rarely seen on either side of the ball, and he received plenty of awards and other recognition for it. However, the First-Team All-Pro is turning the page to his second season, where he looks to keep causing sleepless nights for opponents.

“Micah just has to put his head down and just work, forget last year,” Parsons said. “I'm just really focused on this year and what I'm going to do. I'm not going to think about what I did before. I'm just thinking about how I can be dominant this year.”

Another year under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn coupled with the experience he got as a rookie has Parsons in line to put together another impressive season for the Cowboys. With his relentless work ethic, there's little doubt that will be the case.

Feature image via Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports