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Pro Football Focus reveals Micah Parsons' dominance with one stat

SimonGibbs_UserImageby: Simon Gibbs12/23/21SimonGibbs26

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons is having a historic rookie season, as he’s now been named an NFL Pro Bowl starter less than a year after he was selected in the NFL Draft.

Parsons has made it impossible for opposing offenses to game plan for the Cowboys. He frequently brings pressure on the quarterback when other teams try to throw, then he seems to be everywhere in the backfield when they try to run. His box score may reveal his dominance, but perhaps no statistic does a better job than Pro Football Focus’ pass-rushing grade.

Pro Football Focus gives Parsons a pass-rushing grade of 92.7, a high number for any NFL player. However, for a rookie, it’s even more impressive, given that he’s the only first-year NFL player with a pass-rushing grade above 71.9.

This season, Parsons has 76 total tackles (57 solo stops) along with 12 sacks, which is seventh-best in the NFL. He’s added three forced fumbles to that total, along with three passes defended. That performance was good enough to make Parsons a Pro Bowl starter, and in due time, it should be enough to make him NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year as well.

“It would be an extreme honor,” Parsons said Wednesday when asked about the possibility of being named to the Pro Bowl. “One of those things where it’s not an expectation; it’s something that you earn.”

Parsons has made his presence known regardless of where he lines up. The Cowboys have slotted the Penn State product at both linebacker and defensive end in 2021 — meaning he’s done enough to rank No. 7 in the NFL in sacks despite not rushing the passer every snap. Meanwhile, he’s helped Dallas amass a 10-4 record, good for first place in the NFC East.

Parsons attended Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Electing to stay in-state as a five-star recruit for Penn State, he ended up with a historic two-year career for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions. Parsons is tied for seventh all-time at Penn State with six forced fumbles, despite only playing two seasons. Parsons played all 13 games in 2018, as a freshman, and 2019, as a sophomore, before opting out of the 2020 season to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft. He amassed 191 career tackles (99 solo stops), 18 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and five passes defended.

Parsons was named a freshman All-American in 2018, then a consensus All-American in 2019, prompting the Cowboys to take him with the 12th-overall pick in the NFL Draft.