DALLAS — After a long and arduous offseason, training camp finally arrives for the Dallas Cowboys this week which makes for a good time to check in on the roster.
Next up are the linebackers, and there is no better embodiment of the unit than Micah Parsons. The reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year took over as the face of the Cowboys' defense with 13.0 sacks, 84 combined tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 30 quarterback hits, three pass breakups, and three forced fumbles.
What made Dallas' first-round pick impactful was his ability to play at all three levels of the defense. Parsons particularly bolstered the pass rush when needed. When the Cowboys' defensive line was able to sustain pressure on its own, Parsons became a finisher as a blitzer and variable pass protections had trouble stopping him.
For Parsons to be at his best, it will take his teammates similarly playing at their best.
Leighton Vander Esch returns after the Cowboys declined to pick up his fifth-year option but re-signed him as a free agent over the spring. The former 2018 first-rounder from Boise State played a full 17 games in 2021 and gave Dallas 77 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, a quarterback hit, two pass breakups, and an interception.
With Vander Esch not having to be the foremost playmaker of the linebacking corps, he is able to plug into roles that are more suitable to his skill set rather than having to overextend in coverage.
Luke Gifford enters his fourth year with Dallas. The former 2019 undrafted free agent from Nebraska has been a maven on special teams with 586 snaps compared to just 33 on defense through 30 career games. This season could be an opportunity for Gifford to see more time on defense.
The pathway won't be easy as former fourth-round linebacker Jabril Cox works his way back from an ACL tear. The LSU product sustained the injury after seven games last year, and gave Dallas two tackles as a rookie.
Devante Bond, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2016 sixth-round pick, comes to Dallas as a reclamation project following his injury-riddled 2021 campaign with the Chicago Bears. Bond has gathered 39 combined tackles over 34 career games.
Another reclamation project for Dallas is former Texas linebacker Malik Jefferson. The former Mesquite Poteet High School product is on his sixth different team in five seasons. Jefferson has 16 combined tackles through 35 career games, with only one game played last year for the Indianapolis Colts.
Devin Harper is a sixth-round linebacker from Oklahoma State that is built for coverage at 6 feet, 234 pounds. Another intriguing prospect in the sub-240 range is undrafted free agent Storey Jackson, who was teammates with quarterback prospect Malik Willis at Liberty.
Will Micah Parsons claim the Defensive Player of the Year award in year two? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
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