3 things the Dallas Cowboys will be wishing for on Christmas

2. Micah Parsons to win Defensive Player of the Year

In Cowboys history, only one player has ever won the Defensive Player of the Year award. That was defensive end Harvey Martin in 1977. During his historic season, he had 20.0 sacks in just 14 games, averaging about 1.43 sacks each game.

Now, Micah Parsons has the chance to be the next. Not only does the former Penn State product have the Defensive Rookie of the Year award all but locked up, but now the DPOY award is also a strong possibility.

After his two-sack and forced fumble performance in Week 14, his odds for the award rose drastically. Although both T.J. Watt (17.5) and Myles Garrett (15.0) lead Parsons (12.0) in sacks, the young linebacker is close/better in many other categories. On the season, Parsons ranks 17th in QB hurries (13), second in QB knockdowns (15), fifth in QB pressures (41), and second in tackles for loss (17). He also has 76 tackles on the season, which is almost double of both Watt and Garrett.

The 12th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft is looking to become the second rookie ever to win this award, joining some impressive company in Lawrence Taylor (1981).

There’s still a lot of football left, but Parsons has been on another level. If he can continue the tear he is on, there’s a good chance that he can come away with this award as a rookie.