Cowboys WATCH: Is Micah Parsons 'Perfect'? His 1 Big Improvement - & Dallas 'Next Super Bowl' Prediction
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys 2021 season was full of ups and downs to the point that we frequently referred to it as a roller coaster ride. But there are positive takeaways from the season even though it ended prematurely for the Cowboys.
Micah Parsons fell into the lap of Dallas after a lot of speculation that the Cowboys would go with a cornerback with the No. 10 in the first round. ("Speculation'' in the form of CowboysSI.com's exclusive report on Dallas trying to trade up to Miami at No. 6 for the corner.) However, as the night ticked on, other teams had that same game plan entering the draft, including Denver and Carolina at Nos. 8 and 9, respectively.
The Panthers took South Carolina corner Jaycee Horn, at No. 8, then the Broncos selected Alabama's Patrick Surtain II with the ninth pick. Both players were high on Dallas' board at No. 10, but it wasn't to be.
With their presumed top picks gone, the Cowboys made a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to trade back to No. 12 and receive an extra third-round pick in exchange for No. 10.
The Cowboys surprised many by taking Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons with that 12th pick, a player many had ranked high, possibly even the highest-rated defensive player overall in the entire draft.
While many scouts and coaches recognized the potential Parsons would have in the NFL, there was one knock against his game in the Big Ten, and that was pass coverage. Many thought he could make it, at least in his rookie season, as a pass rusher and run-stopper, but might be exposed if asked to cover a tight end, running back, or even a wide receiver in the NFL. But those same critics said over time, pass coverage was something he could add to his skill set, and improve on.
Tim Heitman/USA Today Sports
Early on in the season, Parsons proved to be an every-down linebacker that could be relied on in any aspect of the defensive scheme. Especially in pass coverage.
Of all Cowboys defenders that were targeted more than 20 times in pass coverage, just one finished with a lower passer rating allowed than Parsons. That was Trevon Diggs, who finished the season with 11 interceptions on 96 targets.
Parsons wasn't hiding this coverage ability in college, he just seemingly developed that quickly. He started the season as not quite a liability in coverage, but it certainly wasn't his strength. But it didn't take long for him to figure it out, no doubt with the help of defensive coordinator and NFL Assistant Coach of the Year, Dan Quinn.
On 35 targets, Parsons allowed just 7.6 yards per reception with a 68.6 completion percentage. He also allowed no touchdowns, and just 137 yards total after the catch. While still not perfect, Parsons finished with the second-best PFF coverage grade on the team and the second-best passer rating allowed at 80.9.
Even with all this considered, there is still room for improvement, and if Parsons was able to accomplish all of this in year one, imagine what the future will bring for the 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year.
He himself is already imagining that future, by the way, the young team leader at Super Bowl Week reiterating his "Hard Knocks'' prediction that the Cowboys will be in the Super Bowl in one of the next two years.
“I do really believe that,” Parsons told “I see the guys around me and all the guys want it. If we clean the little things, oh my gosh, the sky is the limit.”
This can be especially true of "the guys around'' Micah improve as much as he did in 2021.
