Micah Parsons' Penn State 'Wish': Could Cowboys Have Missed Out?
As Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons enters his second year already as one of the league's most dynamic defensive players - and at training camp ready for a big "second-year jump'' - a look back at the end of his collegiate career with Penn State provides a look at the near-perfect storybook transition from one journey to the next.
His final game with the Nittany Lions in Dec. 2019 ended in the place where he would eventually call home, as Parsons put on a dominating performance inside AT&T Stadium at the Cotton Bowl in a 53-39 win over the Memphis Tigers. Finishing with a game-high in total tackles (14), sacks (two), tackles-for-loss (three), and passes defended (two), the 6-3, 245-pound do-it-all backer put himself on track to have an incredible junior season that would've likely shot him up draft boards for 2021.
But an entire pandemic got in the way of his junior season. Parsons elected to sit out for the entire year as he prioritized his family's health and safety with eyes set on the draft, where the Cowboys would eventually select him at No. 12 overall.
The 23-year-old and 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year took to Twitter Saturday and admitted that it was never his plan to end his collegiate playing career at the Cotton Bowl, saying he wishes he "had a real junior year at Penn State."
In an ideal sickness-free world, Parsons would've played one more year for a Nittany Lions team that finished 2019 at 11-2. This decision to add another year of film to his résumé right ahead of the 2021 draft could've given general managers around the league more of a reason to pick him in the top 10.
Parsons was still the first of four linebackers selected in the first round. But had he decided to not sit out, it's hard to imagine that the Cowboys would've had a chance at snagging a player that would arguably become the best rookie linebacker since Lawrence Taylor in 1981.
But that's what makes his decision to sit out one that was, in hindsight, meant to be for the Cowboys. Along with the return of quarterback Dak Prescott and the resurgence of the defense led by cornerback Trevon Diggs and the rookie Parsons last season, Dallas posted the most total offensive yards and forced a league-high 34 turnovers in what was one of the best all-around Cowboys teams since the 1990s.
Things ended abruptly with a 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card, but Parsons had already proven that he was ready to dominate the NFL in the seasons to come.
He took the league by storm early last season with his incredible speed and ferociousness on the defensive line while displaying a sound ability to drop into coverage when asked. The Penn State product was sixth in the league in sacks (13) and third in tackles-for-loss (20). A game-changer at every spot in the defensive front, Parsons is no doubt one of Dallas' - and maybe the league's - most important players entering the 2022-23 NFL season.
With 13 sacks and the fourth-most pressures in the league last season (47), a few more plays or half-second delays by quarterbacks in the pocket could've gone Parsons' way in helping him break the rookie sack record (14.5) set by Tennessee Titans rookie Jevon Kearse in 1999. Parsons also didn't play in Dallas' Week 18 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, which could have allowed him to tie the record at the very least.
After a rookie season that was flooded with accolades like Defensive Rookie of the Year, an All-Pro selection, Pro Bowl appearance, and coming in second of the voting for Defensive Player of the Year, Parsons was one of the top defensive rookies in recent memory.
And had he decided to build off his impressive sophomore season rather than sit out, all of this production could've came at the benefit of another team in the top 10. But the Cowboys got lucky in a sense, landing a linebacker at No. 12 overall who is on track to become a continuous terrorizing force, starting in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 11.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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