Defensive Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons? How about upgrading the title to Defensive Player of the Year Micah Parsons in 2022?

Parson, the 2nd-year linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, has been on a tear through 2 weeks of the new NFL season. One might have thought his performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 on Sunday Night Football was a fluke. Instead, it was the start of his coming out party in the race for Defensive Player of the Year.

In Sunday’s 20-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Parsons once again terrorized offensive linemen for 4 quarters. He recorded 2 sacks on Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow and finished with 5 total quarterback hits. The week prior, he recorded 2 sacks on Tom Brady, along with 2 more QB hits.

The season is young, but Parsons is far and away the early front-runner for any defensive hardware. He leads the NFL in nearly every defensive category that voters look at for pass-rushers. His 9 tackles might not make headlines like other players, but each hit might be more impactful than the last.

Drafted 12th overall out of Penn State in 2021, Parsons made sure the NFL knew his name by the season’s end. In 16 games, Parsons recorded 84 tackles, 30 quarterback hits, 20 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and 3 pass deflections.

In 2 seasons with the Nittany Lions, Parsons recorded 191 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. He elected to sit out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.