Micah Parsons has a shot at showing up two of the NFL's best players

Micah Parsons has been a godsend for the Dallas Cowboys since he stepped on an NFL field. After winning Defensive Rookie of the Year, Parsons set a standard for himself, and he came back with his second consecutive first-team All-Pro nod in 2022. Parsons and his 13 sacks put him in the running for Defensive […]

Matthew Lenix
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Dec 24, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) in action during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) in action during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Micah Parsons has been a godsend for the Dallas Cowboys since he stepped on an NFL field. After winning Defensive Rookie of the Year, Parsons set a standard for himself, and he came back with his second consecutive first-team All-Pro nod in 2022.

Parsons and his 13 sacks put him in the running for Defensive Player of the Year last season. The former first-round pick is one of the three finalists for this year's honor as well, and if he wins, he'll upstage two of the league's best defenders in edge rusher Nick Bosa of the 49ers and defensive tackle Chris Jones of the Chiefs.

Bosa and Jones have strong cases for sure. Bosa led the NFL with 18.5 sacks and had an unreal 48 quarterback hits on 746 snaps, about 170 fewer snaps than Parsons and Jones. Jones, was also impressive with 15.5 sacks and 29 quarterback hits, which is insane for an interior defensive lineman.

Parsons was truly unique in 2022. He played 738 snaps as an edge rusher but also added 171 at linebacker and even eight snaps at cornerback. Parsons racked up 13.5 sacks (six multi-sack games) 27 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and three passes defended.

Parsons oushined all edge rushers in one specific category. He led the NFL pass rush win rate at 30% compared to 22 and 21% by Bosa and Jones. Seeing as Parsons wasn't a full-time player in the trenches, this is an astonishing percentage to have for applying pressure to quarterbacks.

Bosa and Jones have the advantage in some areas. However, Parsons stacks up well against them overall, and the fact that he did it from multiple positions should be taken into consideration a lot.

Feature image via Jerome Miron of USA TODAY Sports

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