Linebacker Micah Parsons hasn’t exactly led the NFL in sacks made over the past few seasons, but a new NFL analysis by NFL projects the star of the Dallas Cowboys to make the most sacks ahead of the 2024–25 season.
Recently, Parsons underwent a life-changing event that changed his perspective on leadership: following the Cowboys’ final full-padded practice in Oxnard, California, Parsons met with reporters and freely acknowledged that he wasn’t the best leader last season.
The epiphany arrived as Parsons was seated next to NFL greats like Andrew Whitworth and Richard Sherman during the Super Bowl. They confronted him about the Cowboys’ playoff defeat and discussed the value of leadership and maturity. Parsons heeded their advice.
In order to improve as a leader, Parsons also had insightful conversations in the offseason with NFL greats Ray Lewis and Tom Brady. He understood that he needed to guide younger guys, such as defensive tackle Mazi Smith, because he couldn’t succeed on his own. Smith has found his greatest supporter in Parsons, who has helped him advance in his sophomore campaign.
Parsons agreed that the idea of him being conceited—such as recording a podcast during the season—needs to alter. He’s resolved to change that perception and lead the Cowboys in a real sense, especially when seasoned players like DeMarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin, and quarterback Dak Prescott might soon be leaving. In order to secure the team’s long-term success on and off the field, Parsons is prepared to step up.
Dallas Cowboys’ Micah Parsons Projected To Make The Most Sacks Ahead of 2024 Season
In addition to gaining more recognition as a leader, Parsons is anticipated to produce a large number of sacks prior to the 2024–25 campaign. Seth Walder’s examination of the NFL for ESPN shows this.
“Projected 2024 sacks: 13.6
ESPN BET over/under: 13.5
2023 sack total: 14.0
Parsons has never finished a season with more than 14 sacks, but this is his first time at the top of this projection list. Upon examining Parsons’ fundamental data, it becomes evident that a surge into the upper teens or perhaps beyond previous records is achievable.
In each of his three career seasons, Parsons has topped the NFL in pass rush win rate, which measures how often he outpaces his blocker by 2.5 seconds. Last season, Parsons’ 35% PRWR was significantly higher than Myles Garrett’s 30%, who came in second.
Additionally, Bryce Young, Russell Wilson/Justin Fields, Deshaun Watson, and Daniel Jones (twice) are among the high-sack-rate quarterbacks that the Cowboys face on their schedule, according to Walder.
Parsons attended Penn State to play collegiate football, where he won the Big Ten Linebacker of the Year award in 2019 and was a unanimous All-American. Parsons won the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award after being chosen by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
The linebacker has now established himself as one of the top players in the league. Fans of the Dallas Cowboys will be watching closely to see if he can live up to that prediction in the upcoming campaign.
