Dallas Cowboys: Ranking new additions by order of importance

2. Micah Parsons, LB

When the Dallas Cowboys dropped down from No. 10 to No. 12 in the 2021 NFL Draft, no one was surprised. They did raise some eyebrows, however, when it was announced they traded with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Of course, the Eagles ended up taking DeVonta Smith and the only solace Dallas fans can take in that is knowing that he most likely would have gone to the New York Giants had Philly not made the move. The Cowboys also added the pick that landed them Nahshon Wright, who they were excited about.

Once the move was done, it seemed as though the Cowboys were instantly back on the clock and that’s when they landed Micah Parsons from Penn State. At first, it seemed as though it wasn’t a great pick — but not because of Parsons, who is an absolute beast.

Instead, the problem is the fact that linebackers don’t move the needle the way they used to since it’s become a pass-happy NFL. Also, Dallas already had Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch, who were both taken with premium picks.

However, with more time to reflect, this move isn’t bad at all. Parsons isn’t a liability in the passing game the way Smith has become and he could allow them to move on from his massive contract. It also allowed them to pass on the fifth year of LVE’s contract, putting pressure on him to get back to his 2018 form.

In the end, that could make this a very important addition — but it still wasn’t No. 1 overall.