'This Is All I Ever Wanted!' Micah Parsons To Cowboys In NFL Draft

The Dallas Cowboys traded back two spots, took on an additional third-round pick and ended up with the best LB in the 2021 NFL Draft

The Dallas Cowboys selected Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday. Below we provide our instant grade on the selection.

READ MORE: Dallas Cowboys Trade Back with Rival Eagles in NFL Draft

What does he think?

"This is all I ever wanted!'' he told Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in the congratulatory phone call.

What do we think? Read on ...

LB Micah Parsons, Penn State, 6-foot-2, 245 pounds

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Overview: A big-time prep prospect turned big man on campus, Parsons was an immediate impact player as a true freshman and emerged as the Nittany Lions team leader. The Pennsylvania native shows great change of direction, fluid agility and flies to fill the gap while swarming to the football. He likes to play chess with opposing quarterbacks by giving them different looks and lots of pre-snap gyrations. Parsons possesses excellent speed and quickness when dropping back in coverage.

Before opting out, the Penn State staff had discussed utilizing him on the edge in 2020, as he owns some pass-rush skills during his time at defensive end/running back in high school. He also played on special teams and has even been used as a kick returner in practice, a role where the team was open to utilizing him. 

Parsons is a generational type of talent that could arguably play any position, but forecasts as a true MIKE linebacker with his comfort level breaking down the huddle, making the calls on the field and leading his men into battle. He should test out exceedingly well when given the opportunity. It’s hard to fathom that Penn State, which used to be known as “Linebacker U,” has failed to produce a linebacker chosen in the first round since 2000 (LaVar Arrington), but Parsons appears destined to end the drought. 

There’s not much this kid can’t do.

How he fits: The retirement of Sean Lee earlier this week leaves the Cowboys with a depth issue. Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch are the penciled-in starters. In fact, the Cowboys have just five linebackers on their roster, the other three being Luke Gifford, Azur Kamara and Keanu Neal, who is just 211 pounds and played safety last season at Atlanta.

What the Cowboys passed on: Cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain II fells off the board at No. 8 and No. 9, respectively. So, the next two players the Cowboys might have had their eye on was Northwestern offensive tackle Rashawn Slater and Virginia Tech corner Caleb Farley, the latter of which has an injury. Dallas passed on the pair to take who many consider to be the best linebacker in this draft.

Grade: A. The Cowboys get a Top 5 defensive player and the No. 1 linebacker in this draft. The injury issues to Vander Esch mean Parsons gives the Cowboys some peace of mind and flexibility in the position group. But, more importantly, in the 4-3 defense new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn runs, Parsons’ talent is undeniable, and he projects as an instant starter come September.

So the grade is high, especially if the third-rounder comes throug... even though Dallas took a twisty path to get there.

You can follow Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.