From the moment Micah Parsons stepped onto the field in the NFL, he’s been one of the league’s best defenders. In his first season in the league, Parsons moved to a new position that he had never played before (defensive end) and was a first-team All-Pro selection. Not only did he win Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year award. That’s how dominant he’s been from Day 1.
And yet, he is still somehow underrated. Just a week ago, Colin Cowherd called him a “boom or bust” player and named several other pass rushers he would take over Parsons including Jared Verse. But it’s only click-bait radio hosts who underrated Parsons. On Wednesday, we learned just how much the league continues to disrespect the four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN polled over 70 NFL executives, decision-makers, coaches and scouts and asked them to rank the top 10 pass rushers in the NFL. Parsons finished No. 3 on the list, behind Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt. One NFL decision-maker ranked him as the No. 6 (!) pass rusher.
Cowboys' Micah Parsons is no worse than the second-best defender in the NFL
Here is what Fowler had to say about Parsons and why he believes the Cowboys star is closer to No. 1 than No. 3:
"His 126 pressures and 31.0% pass rush win rate since 2023 lead the NFL. He has done this despite facing a 31.5% double-team rate in 2024, highest among edge rushers on this list. He generated a league-high 19.1% pressure rate last season and led the Cowboys with a 24.2% pressure share, the eighth-highest clip in the NFL. His pass rush win rate of 25.3% ranked second overall."Jeremy Fowler, ESPN
Fowler also pointed out that Parsons is just the second player in NFL history to record at least 12 sacks in each of his first four seasons in the league. The other? None other than Reggie White. And it’s worth mentioning that Parsons missed four games last season with a high-ankle injury and still managed to record 12 sacks with 23 QB hits.
So what’s keep Parsons from being No. 1 or No. 2 on this list? Ironically, it’s the sack totals. Too many old-school coaches and general managers rely on sack totals to determine the quality of a player. But we know that pass-rush win rate and pressures are a much better indicator of success and predicting future success than sacks. But as those stats become more mainstream, it’ll only help players like Parsons, who impact far more plays than other names on this list.
Related: Cowboys legend shuts down Micah Parsons narrative that fans need to hear
And let’s just be honest, there is also a Cowboys bias when it comes to ranking these players. The advanced numbers from Parsons over the last four seasons are significantly better than T.J. Watt, but for whatever reason, Cowboys defenders don’t get the same amount of respect nationally. Don’t believe me?
Then explain how the Cowboys have never had a Defensive Player of the Year winner since 1977. Or how does someone like Daron Bland, who set the record for pick-sixes in the NFL season, receive just one total vote for Defensive Player of the Year? Or how about Trevon Diggs in 2021, when he led the NFL in interceptions (11) and return touchdowns (2) and didn't receive a vote?
What about DeMarcus Ware in 2008? He led the league in sacks with 20, but was beaten out by James Harrison, who had four fewer sacks. How does it make sense that arguably the best defensive player of the 2000s finished inside the top five in DPOY voting just once? I think you get what's going on here.
You can make a strong case that Parsons is the best defensive player in the league. But if you want to put Myles Garrett ahead of him, no one will fight that too much. But putting T.J. Watt ahead of him, especially at this stage of their careers, is downright disrespectful.
Look for Parsons to remind everyone this season why he and Garrett are on a different tier than the rest of the pass rushers in the NFL.