Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons debuts in top 10 of NFL Top 100 at No. 9 overall

For the very first time, former Penn State standout Micah Parsons is amongst the top-10 ranked players in the entire league, according to the annual NFL Top 100 list.

Parsons earned AP Defensive Rookie of the Year after he racked up 13 sacks and 20 tackles for the Dallas Cowboys in 2021. That performance earned him the No. 16 spot on the list going into last season. He topped his rookie number with 13.5 sacks, only further establishing himself as one of the league’s best.

“I want to be the best player in the league but I’ll settle for top 10, it gives you something to keep working for,” Parsons told the NFL+ crew.

Cowboys stud DE Micah Parsons comes in at No. 9 in this year’s Top 100 NFL Players for 2023…

The 2X First-Team All-Pro moves up seven spots No. 16 in 2022 to No. 9 this season, an absolute game wrecker! #DallasCowboys

(🎥: @NFLFilms) pic.twitter.com/3kxet2AMHE

— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) August 8, 2023

Perhaps even more meaningful than a high Madden rating, the NFL top 100 list is voted on by the players. Myles Garrett, who received a 98 Madden rating to Parsons’ 97, was the No. 20 player on this year’s list. Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa came in at No. 4 overall with Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones at No. 10.

“Well, I go against this guy in practice every day, so Micah Parsons is as gifted a player as there is in the NFL,” Cowboys right guard Zack Martin said. “He can beat you any way he really wants to. I just don’t think there’s anyone like him in the NFL.”

“First of all, he’s like a bobcat on the field,” Eagles lineman Lane Johnson added. “It’s like trying to get your hands on a cat. He had that 4.3-speed coming out of college. He knows how to dip. He’s around 6-foot-2, but he plays really low. You combine that athleticism with the motor that he has and it creates a lot of problems.”

Other Cowboys in the top 100 are DeMarcus Lawrence (99), Zack Martin (68), Trevon Diggs (60, Dak Prescott (56), Tony Pollard (55), and CeeDee Lamb (34).

Although Parsons ended up coming in at No. 9, several players named him as their No. 1 overall, including Pat Friermuth, Desmond Ridder, and even his NFC East rival Saquon Barkley.

Cowboys warn Parsons about hitting Dak Prescott

Micah Parsons rarely takes a play off. It could be Aug. 5 during training camp or the final moments of a playoff game. Either way, Parsons is going to be going 100% at all times, attempting to get to the quarterback.

While the Cowboys love the mentality versus opponents, they wish Parsons was not hitting Dak Prescott. They have had to warn him about doing so following a clip that emerged from practice of a potentially low clip. Nobody in Dallas wants to see Prescott go down with another injury.

“I get warnings every day,” Parsons said via Jon Machota of The Athletic. “But you know, I’ve always been wanting to push towards that line.”