Dallas Cowboys build around superstar LB Micah Parsons with complementary draft class
Ever since the end of the 2021 season when it was obvious the Dallas Cowboys weren’t going to invest heavily on outside upgrades to improve the team for 2022, the biggest question was how could they improve from within?
Defensively, the hope centered on the unit having coordinator Dan Quinn and 2021 rookie linebacker sensation Micah Parsons together for a second full season.
They certainly packed a powerful punch in Year 1.
Quinn earned NFL assistant coach of the year honors for what he did in turning around the Cowboys defense, which went from surrendering the most points in franchise history in 2020 to ranking seventh in points allowed and led the NFL with 34 takeaways in 2021.
The linchpin to it all was Parsons, who had arguably had one of the greatest rookie seasons in franchise and NFL history. He won defensive rookie of the year unanimously, made All-Pro and finished second in defensive player of the year voting after 13 sacks, 20 tackles for loss and 30 quarterback hits in 16 starts, while taking snaps all over the defense as linebacker, edge rusher, blitzer and cornerback.
So as the 2022 NFL Draft unfolded last weekend, one recurring question kept coming up for owner Jerry Jones.
“Obviously, one of the questions that I kept asking is, ‘Is there a pick here that would give us a big complement to what Micah is? Is there a pick here that would make him have more pass pressure or let us use him more flexibly behind the line of scrimmage — get more blitzing out of him? Where is the complementary aspect to it?’” Jones said.
The Cowboys answered Jones’ questions with the selection of edge rusher Sam Williams in the second round and linebackers Damone Clark and Devin Harper in the fifth and sixth rounds.
Jones says all three will allow the Cowboys to continue to use Parsons as a chess piece all over the defense.
“We really addressed that good,” Jones said. “I think we have really upped the options we have with Micah to get that done. That was on the forefront of our thinking. So, I really think we built off the good fortune that we had of getting Micah Parsons last year.”
There was some thought the Cowboys might move Parsons to a full-time defensive end after losing Gregory. He is the team’s best pass rusher.
But coach Mike McCarthy said Parsons’ versatility was too valuable and even harder to scheme against.
He echoed Jones in saying improving the depth at linebacker to complement Parsons was at the forefront of everyone’s thinking.
“Micah is obviously a feature player on our defense and as much flexibility that we can put around him to take advantage of his flexibility [the better],” McCarthy said. “Every time his name comes up, I always go back, from an offensive perspective, he is someone every week is going to be targeted, whether it’s in protection or so forth.”
Williams should make an immediate impact in a pass rush rotation with Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler.
Clark is the biggest wild card because he is on the physically unable to perform list after having spinal fusion surgery in February.
But he is expected to play in 2022 and is a potential phenom if healthy. Clark lasted until the fifth round of the draft because of the surgery.
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Clark is a three-down linebacker who recorded 135 tackles for LSU in 2021.
And Harper is an athletic linebacker who can play from sideline to sideline with his 4.49 speed in the 40-yard dash.
Add in the return of 2021 draft pick Jabril Cox, who was sidelined as a rookie with a torn ACL, and the Cowboys have a versatile and athletic group of young linebackers to build around and complement Parsons.
This story was originally published May 3, 2022 at 4:00 PM.
