Dallas Cowboys: 5 Breakout players who could emerge in 2021

Dallas Cowboys breakout player No. 1: Micah Parsons, Linebacker

This is one that the Dallas Cowboys really hope comes to fruition. They used the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft (after trading down with the Philadelphia Eagles from No. 10) on Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons.

A lot of fans were skeptical, and admittedly, I was as well. Not only was it a high spot to use on a linebacker but the Cowboys have already swung and missed on a couple of others at the position with day one and two picks.

Jaylon Smith, the 34th pick in 2016, played well enough to earn an extension before 2019 then did his best Humpty Dumpty position by taking a nasty fall over the past two seasons. In 2018, they took Leighton Vander Esch at No. 19 overall and he started out strong as a rookie before being slowed by injuries.

He can still play but the Cowboys have concerns and declined the fifth year on his rookie deal. So with all that going on at linebacker, it seemed as though they were simply rinsing and repeating with this move.

But after watching Parsons in the preseason, it’s apparent that he’s a star in the making. He made several impact plays while on the field and a burst of energy that this defense needs. He flies to the ball and not only does he get after it on every play but it’s clear that he wants to be great.

That was seen during ‘Hard Knocks’ when he was growing frustrated with Dan Quinn for not letting him stay on the field. He wanted to continue to work and get better, which is just one of the many reasons to believe he will become everything this front office hoped he would be.