3. Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
Kind of a terrifying thought. Last season, Parsons totaled 15 sacks, 17 quarterback hits, 74 quarterback hurries, and 42 stops in a season that sent most of Dallas’ opponents back to the drawing board. No defensive player had more total pressures last season than Parsons’ 106. The 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year in a landslide, Parsons wasn’t really a full-time edge-rusher at Penn State, but took to the idea like the proverbial duck to water. Wherever he is on the field, he’s a wrecking machine.
Not only is Parsons an athletic marvel, he’s also got a scary array of moves to foil tackles and guards who have to deal with him. This counter/spin against Buccaneers right tackle Tristian Wirfs in the wild card round seems impossible to defend.
Parsons also has the speed and agility to work inside moves to the outside, rolling the depth of the arc to the quarterback. He did just that against Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas in Week 12.
Parsons can also win inside the tackles, both from linebacker depth and in the interior offensive line. Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who has always been evil with his pass-rushing plans, seemed to enjoy this specific idea, where Parsons would line up right behind the nose tackle, and shoot the gap for the quarterback pressure. Both Aaron Rodgers (in Week 10) and Gardner Minshew (in Week 16) discovered that this was not great for their passing games.
https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/...ushers-nick-bosa-myles-garrett-micah-parsons/
A further touch with reality...the great wall of Dallas, every last one was an unknown or a reject from another team. Not a single one made it into the Hall of Fame.
Starting with that group, it no longer took 7 players to successfully block for a running play...as with Lombardi.
'91 it took some time for that group of linemen to grow to be the Great Wall.
The great wall was broken up by the car crash of Erik Williams, free agency of Gogan and Stepnoski...and Jimmy not handling the progressions after '93.
Larry Allen helped! But Nate Newton was convicted for drug sell...