CBS: Grading every team's first-round pick from the 2021 NFL Draft so far

[Cowboyny]

I will admit I was wrong about Parsons as I wanted the team to draft Slater. What I gathered Parsons didn't possess elite instincts, needed to develop in coverage and had major immaturity concerns. Outside of the coverage, he has proved those reports wrong in spades. Nailed the pick and also got Golston in the process who looks to be a quality rotational player.

 

[75boyz]

I will admit I was wrong about Parsons as I wanted the team to draft Slater. What I gathered Parsons didn't possess elite instincts, needed to develop in coverage and had major immaturity concerns. Outside of the coverage, he has proved those reports wrong in spades. Nailed the pick and also got Golston in the process who looks to be a quality rotational player.

I hear ya. I felt the same.

 

[Carson]

I will admit I was wrong about Parsons as I wanted the team to draft Slater. What I gathered Parsons didn't possess elite instincts, needed to develop in coverage and had major immaturity concerns. Outside of the coverage, he has proved those reports wrong in spades. Nailed the pick and also got Golston in the process who looks to be a quality rotational player.

Same here. I was very pro Surtain, Horn or Slater and anti Parsons.

 

[Creeper]

I honestly couldn't care less what one sports writer thinks about these players. Parsons has changed the attitude of the defense and that has been a huge plus for Dallas.

In general, I think this draft class has been much better than I thought it would be.

 

[Section446]

Dang, if Parsons is an A-, I'd hate to see the rest of the grades.

 

[Risen Star]

You can take that minus and shove it up your....ayooo.

 

[lukin2006]

Parsons is the type of defensive player that’s be needed for awhile. You build around this guy. The D is trending in the right direction. Go Cowboys

 

[Canadian BoyzFan]

Honestly? What more can you ask for?
He’s been great - DPOY.

 

[DallasDW00ds0n]

He “can’t shed blocks” but he was “successful” at DE. How can you do both

 

[DasTex]

I'm guessing Slater is the other A?

 

[Tim93gt]

Tell me you haven’t seen Parsons play this season without saying that you haven’t seen him play.

 

[beware_d-ware]

Where the team takes Parsons as far as role is one of the most interesting storylines on the team for me.

Do we try and develop him into a Bobby Wagner style traditional backer who covers 2/3rds of the time? Or do we lean into the skid and send him downhill after everything?

Marcus Mosher called him a "middle line blitzer", and I love that. I can see a future where he rushes at a near Dlineman rate, sort of like an old school 3-4 OLB.

 

[beware_d-ware]

Also, I have to give a huge hand to Dan Quinn in this whole draft, not only 1st round.

Micah Parsons wasn't a hard selection at #12, and the Kelvin Joseph pick was another pure Jerry / Will McClay select as the high-octane Power 5 athlete with red flags that we've seen plenty of times before.

But those three 3rd rounders were Quinn going out on a limb. He was at least a round high on all of them versus the draft media, and IIRC he coached all 3 at the Senior Bowl. Coaches reaching for pet cats has a really bad track record (see: Jon Gruden, John Schneider, Rod Marinelli), but Quinn has already found 2 diamonds in the rough and Wright has a chance to make it 3 for 3. Quinn legitimately saw something the rest of the league missed.

And he's built his defense to make Parsons successful too. It was no secret in the draft that Parsons was inexperienced in coverage but a special talent moving forward. His PFF grades reflect that... blue chip pass rushing grades, mediocrity in coverage. So Quinn just keeps him firing downhill, and Parsons keeps destroying offenses. Quinn was never a blitzer in Seattle or Atlanta, but he's changing his defense and putting his rookie talent in the best position to succeed.

 

[CowboyinMD]

I said it from day 1, and I'll admit with my bias to Penn State as an alum, but...

At that point in the first round, you can get more bang with your buck with a LB or edge rusher that can disrupt the LOS than a CB. Yes, in 1992, they got Kevin Smith, who turned out to be a stud. But he was the 17th pick. Dallas was looking at the 10th, ultimately 12th overall pick this year. No offense to Horn or Surtain, but that's not where you get a cornerback with good cover skills. They're a lot of them. How many in that draft had the closing speed of Micah Parsons? His play is helping everyone else on that D, including the defensive backs.

Bet there's a handful of teams that with the benefit of hindsight would have taken Parsons before Dallas did at 12. I'll say it again, his decision to sit out the 2020 season was great for the Cowboys. A bit less tape to go from... Had he played last year he would have easily been a top seven pick.

 

[duro420]

This guy lost all credibility when he gave Darrisaw the same grade as Parsons. Darrisaw was just whipped by Gregory and has only started 3 games. Then he has Toney as a B+ for what? Chase is good but he has not had the impact that Parsons has had for the Cowboys in Cincinnati. I have specifically watched Slater when the Chargers play because I wanted the Cowboys to draft him. Good player but I don’t see his upside like Sewell.

Nothing personal but you just lost all cred too but in a worse way based on your Jamarr Chase take. Guy is putting up Moss rook yr like #'s, on top of that for the Bengals of all teams. Homer much? Unless you were making a funny, but I doubt you were. You now have a journey full of trial and tribulation ahead of you to get a sliver of credit back. But I think you can do it if anyone here can.

Let me repeat that: the Bengals.

 

[vicjagger]

So, he's a bust? I mean at #12 you need to score at least an A.

Oh well, at least we have Chauncey Gholston.