Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Trevon Diggs injury puts even bigger spotlight on Micah Parsons

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 9/21/23

Losing Trevon Diggs (torn ACL) for the season is a blow to the Cowboys, but it shouldn't push them off their track toward the Super Bowl. That's mainly because Dallas has All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons on its defense to keep its championship hopes alive.

Parsons is on the shortlist of best players in the NFL and is coming off consecutive All-Pro appearances during his first two seasons. In Weeks 1 and 2, Parsons was credited by Pro Football Focus with three sacks and 12 total pressures. He also forced a fumble in last Sunday's 30-10 route against the Jets.

NFL Next Gen Stats recently gave Parsons the highest pass rush score among defenders since 2022.

Who are the top pass rushers in the NFL?

The @NextGenStats team ranks the league’s best based on metrics derived from their new Pressure Probability model.

: https://t.co/9PYluoKiYR pic.twitter.com/tKt6AyCgdO
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 21, 2023

On Thursday afternoon, he posted a message on social media supporting Diggs, writing, "I am my brother's keeper! I got you 7! No more need to be said."

I am my brothers keeper! I got you 7! No more need to be said! pic.twitter.com/8ujEMegYuP
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) September 21, 2023

DaRon Bland will fill Diggs' role, but Parsons has a significant part in determining how much the Cowboys will miss their injured corner by the end of the season.

The Cowboys defense is pressuring quarterbacks through two games on 48-of-76 dropbacks (63.2 percent). Quarterbacks are 12-of-29 for 100 yards and two interceptions with nine scrambles and 10 sacks.

A dominant pass rush is a secondary's best friend, and that's precisely what Parsons provides Dallas. If the Cowboys are as good as they appear to be (they outscored their first two opponents 70-10), and they don't suffer a drop-off defensively without Diggs, then Parsons should have a serious case for league MVP.

Some have already made the comparison to Lawrence Taylor, arguably the greatest defensive player in NFL history and one of two to be named NFL MVP (Alan Page in 1971.)

ESPN's Mike Greenberg was the most recent to compare the two, doing so on Monday's "Get Up," saying, "Micah Parsons is unquestionably in my opinion ... he's the closest thing to having that kind of disruptive impact on a game to Lawrence Taylor that I have seen."

.@Espngreeny says Micah Parsons is disrupting games like Lawrence Taylor did pic.twitter.com/r86mhtxbv5
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) September 18, 2023

Front-runners for this year's award will come and go as the year progresses, but the stage is set for Parsons to be in the conversation until the end.

With Diggs done for the year, Parsons is even more valuable to the Cowboys. By the end of the season, he could be more valuable than anyone else.

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