3 Young Guns! PFF '25 Under 25': Where Do Micah Parsons & Cowboys Rank?
The kids are all right, in Arlington at least.
Three Dallas Cowboys were among Pro Football Focus' Top 25 players under the age of 25 come Week 1 of the 2023-24 season, a list by defensive end linebacker Micah Parsons.
Receiver CeeDee Lamb appeared in the ninth slot while Parsons' fellow defender Trevon Diggs helped bookend the list with stars at No. 25.
Parsons' view of the young guns from the top is the latest accolade in his fledgling NFL career: the 12th pick of the 2021 draft already earned the Defensive Player of the Year Award as a rookie and has taken down opposing quarterbacks 26.5 times. His advanced numbers allowed him to secure the youthful honor allowed him to beat out Minnesota receiver Justin Jefferson for the top spot.
"His 92.0 pass-rush grade and 23.4% pass-rush win percentage in 2022 were just slightly behind his 93.0 pass-rush grade and 24.8% pass-rush win percentage from the previous season, but he maintained those high numbers while playing 281 more pass-rush snaps in 2022," Trevor Sikkema writes in an accompanying blurb. "He’s already one of the most impactful players in the league, young or old."
The Cowboys are more than happy to reap in the benefits: since his arrival in 2021, Dallas has earned 95 sacks as a team, tied with Pittsburgh for the second-best tally in the league in that span. Dallas has also reached consecutive postseasons for the first time since 2006-07.
Lamb is the third of 10 receivers to appear on the list, trailing only Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase of Cincinnati. He did plenty to vindicate Dallas' decision to grant him the responsibilities of being the team's undisputed top offensive target, earning 1,359 yards on 107 receptions in his third season.
"His receiving grade has increased rapidly, from 72.6 in 2020 to 84.8 in 2021 and 87.0 in 2022," the blurb for Lamb reads in part. "The only player with more explosive plays of 20 yards or more in the past two years is Justin Jefferson."
Diggs caps off the list in the 25th and final spot. While he took a noticeable step back in conventional production after tallying 11 interceptions in 2021 and PFF labels him as "polarizing," his coverage improved well enough to justify his place.
"His coverage grade that season finished at 65.0," his blurb reads. "This past year, though, he allowed fewer yards against and his coverage grade moved slightly to 67.0. He’s a feast-or-famine type of player, but his talent and ball skills allow him to make major plays."
Behind Parsons and Jefferson, Tristan Wirfs (Tampa Bay), Chase, and Sauce Gardner (NY Jets) rounded out the top five. Only two NFC East rivals, Andrew Thomas (10th) and DeVonta Smith (16th), joined the Cowboys' trio.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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