Dallas Cowboys: 5 Players turning heads this offseason

4. Micah Parsons, LB

It’s completely within reason to question how the Cowboys reacted in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. From the outside looking in, it appeared that Jerry Jones and Co. never considered both Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain II coming off the board before their No. 10 pick — hence why they traded down two spots with the Eagles before selecting Micah Parsons.

Without question, the Parsons selection has been rightfully panned by many. Yes, Dallas needed defensive help but linebacker was far from the primary need. Thus, using such a premium pick on Parsons seemed like a misuse of their draft capital. However, none of that is to question Parsons as a player, which he showed throughout offseason workouts.

The Penn State product is a uniquely gifted athlete if not a raw linebacker. But Quinn and the Cowboys coaching staff seemed to harness that ability well in workouts as he continued to make splash plays in the middle of the field and consistently impress when asked to rush off the edge situationally.

According to reports from camp, Parsons actually saw first-team reps over Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch as well. That may not mean he’s a Week 1 starter in Dallas but it does show the high hopes the team has for the first-round pick. And it seems as if he’s done nothing but meet expectations to this point.