Training camp has begun, and we are already seeing rookies taking the league by storm. Former Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons has been tearing it up in camp early.
Parsons was selected 12th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. Not too long before, the team lost Sean Lee to retirement, another former Nittany Lion. Shortly after the draft, the Cowboys also decided to listen to trade offers for Leighton Vander-Esch, who has also been impressing in camp. Both of these Cowboys linebackers have struggled with injuries throughout their careers, which resulted in them taking a linebacker early in Parsons.
Cowboys’ Micah Parsons hopes to rely on retired Sean Lee ‘as a great mentor’
According to a report from Peter King’s “Football Morning in America”, Parsons has been practicing like it’s October; “wrecking practice.”
Another camp observer said Parsons has been making a play or two every practice with his ability to diagnose plays from all over the field.
The Draft Network’s Jordan Reid was able to sit down and talk to Parsons back in October 2020 about his Penn State legacy and what he is able to bring to a team. Reid pretended he was an NFL team and asked Parsons what his biggest strengths he could bring to a team were. Parsons mentioned that one of his biggest strengths is his instincts and IQ level, and we were able to see a lot of that during his time at Penn State.
The Dallas Cowboys come into the season with a lot to prove under second-year head coach Mike McCarthy and a healthy Dak Prescott. The team finished with a disappointing 5-10 record last season and looks to hopefully capitalize this year in a struggling NFC East division.
The Cowboys are getting a really special player in Parsons. As mentioned, the team has struggled to keep linebackers healthy over the past few years. With both Vander-Esch and Parsons impressing at camp, this could be a scary linebacker duo to watch out for during the 2021 season.
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