20 NFL bold predictions after the 2022 NFL Draft
By Randy Gurzi
8. Micah Parsons wins NFL Defensive Player of the Year
While the Dallas Cowboys might regret losing Amari Cooper, they can at least take some solace in knowing they landed one of the more impactful defenders in the entire NFL last season.
After losing out on Jaycee Hill and Patrick Surtain, Dallas traded down from No. 10 to No. 12 and ended up taking Micah Parsons with their first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
This selection wasn’t too popular at first since the Cowboys had already invested so heavily in linebackers but it wasn’t long before Parsons won the fans over. He proved quickly that he was the most versatile player on their defense as he lined up as a linebacker as well as on the EDGE when DeMarcus Lawrence was hurt.
The result was a stat line that featured 84 tackles and 13 sacks — with many of those sacks coming even after he moved back to his linebacker role.
Those numbers led to him earning the 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award and he’s not someone who seems to be ready to fade away —‚ as Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch did for Dallas.
Parsons is an incredibly confident player but he’s also highly intelligent. He’s a cerebral player who wins with technique and planning more than athleticism, which is crazy since he’s a freak athlete.
With a full season of NFL work under his belt, look for Parsons to enter 2022 with more polish which leads to him winning the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.