Heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys held the No. 10 overall pick and were seemingly set on selecting a cornerback to play opposite Trevon Diggs, whom they’d taken in the second round a year earlier and was coming off a solid rookie campaign.
The top two corners on the board in 2021 were easily Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain II, both of whom were linked to America’s Team in countless mock drafts.
But when Horn went eighth overall to the Carolina Panthers and Surtain went one pick later at No. 9 to the Denver Broncos, the Cowboys were forced to change their plans and quickly made a trade to swap first-rounders with the rival Philadelphia Eagles, thus moving back two spots to No. 12 while also acquiring an additional third-round pick.
After watching the Eagles select wideout Devonta Smith at No. 10 and the Chicago Bears take quarterback Justin Fields at No. 11, the Cowboys settled on Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons at No. 12.
Not a bad consolation prize, right?
Since the moment he entered the league, Parsons has been an absolute menace to opposing quarterbacks, racking up 112 QB hits and 52.5 sacks in his first four seasons. And if all goes well during the upcoming 2025 campaign, he’ll soon be among the top 10 sack leaders in Dallas Cowboys history.
Micah Parsons needs just 9.5 sacks to join the top 10 on the Cowboys’ all-time list
Parsons has been a model of consistency from the get-go.
In his first season, he recorded 13.0 sacks en route to winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in unanimous fashion, also finishing second in the Defensive Player of the Year vote and earning a trip to the Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors.
In 2022, Parsons went for 13.5, again earning a second-place finish in the DPOY vote, a Pro Bowl selection, and a First-Team All-Pro nod. In 2023, he notched a career-high 14.0, earning a third straight trip to the Pro Bowl, a Second-Team All-Pro selection, and a third-place finish in the DPOY voting.
And despite missing four games in 2024, the Pennsylvania native still recorded another dozen sacks, earning a fourth straight Pro Bowl selection and upping his career total to the aforementioned 52.5.
As such, as you’ll see below, Parsons, who currently ranks 13th on the Cowboys’ all-time list, now needs just 9.5 sacks to surpass none other than DeMarcus Lawrence for 10th.
| Rank | Player | Cowboys Sacks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DeMarcus Ware | 117.0 |
| 2 | Harvey Martin | 114.0 |
| 3 | Randy White | 111.0 |
| 4 | Ed “Too Tall” Jones | 106.0 |
| 5 | George Andrie | 98.5 |
| 6 | Jethro Pugh | 96.5 |
| 7 | Bob Lilly | 95.5 |
| 8 | Jim Jeffcoat | 94.5 |
| 9 | Greg Ellis | 77.0 |
| 10 | DeMarcus Lawrence | 61.5 |
| T11 | Larry Cole | 59.5 |
| T11 | Tony Tolbert | 59.5 |
| 13 | Micah Parsons | 52.5 |
As you can see, before he gets to Lawrence, Parsons will first need to surpass Larry Cole and Tony Tolbert, who sit tied for 11th with 59.5 apiece.
Barring some sort of serious injury, Parsons shouldn’t have any trouble breaking into the top 10. And if he can maintain his current average of just over 13 sacks per season, it would take him just five more years to take down DeMarcus Ware at No. 1.
But that obviously requires a long-term contract, doesn’t it?
