Micah Parsons Sounds Off After Cowboys Make Draft Splash

Micah Parsons was ecstatic after the Dallas Cowboys selected Mazi Smith with their first-round pick on Thursday.

Parsons revealed on the Bleacher Report live draft show that he had texted Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn about wanting Smith with their first-round pick. He got his wish and had a message for his newest teammate.

“I hope you’re ready to be part of the best D-line in the NFL,” Parsons said. “I’m going to help you get sacks, you’re going to help me get sacks. Let’s get this Super Bowl.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that Smith was the 14th player on their draft board in the first round. Considering where they got him at No. 26, that’s good value. When pressed on the topic, Jones said, “Who gives a s**t? We got him.”

Here was the pre-draft breakdown on Smith by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:

“Smith’s blend of size and quickness is rare. He can punch and control a base block with relative ease. However, he struggles to match the initial movement of move blockers, which diminishes his effectiveness. He has space-eating potential but needs to become more consistent at taking on double teams and securing his gap. Smith’s size and testing could give his draft slotting some juice but he’s more of a Day 2 talent with exciting upside than a plug-and-play starter.”

Smith was a first-team All-Big Ten pick in 2022 at Michigan, collecting 48 tackles — 2.5 for loss — in 14 starts. Smith was No. 1 on Bruce Feldman’s list of “freaks” in college football ahead of last season.

“The 6-foot-3, 337-pound senior has rare power and agility,” Feldman wrote. “So rare, in fact, it’s hard to find the right superlative to begin with.”

The Cowboys will be turning to Smith to help shore up their run defense and he has all the characteristics to make a significant impact.

“I’m like 345 pounds, first off. I got real power,” Smith said after being selected. “My mom said I came out of the womb looking I did pushups. I have been strong my whole life.”

Prior to the Smith pick, Parsons was in disbelief after the Philadelphia Eagles drafted defensive tackle Jalen Carter with the No. 9 overall selection during the first round.

The Eagles traded up a spot to land Carter, a player who comes with off-field issues but has some massive upside. Parsons clearly understands what Carter brings to the table and was stunned he landed with the Cowboys’ NFC East rival.

 

“I’m just so sick to my stomach right now,” Parsons said. “I’m just sick to my stomach right now. I can’t believe that many teams passed up on him. I’m just truly sick right now.”

The show’s hosts then brought on Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown in a perfectly timed appearance. The Philly pass-catcher did not pass up on the opportunity to troll Parsons.

“I would definitely say, Micah, I know you want to be a member of the Philadelphia Eagles at this point,” Brown said. “Just come on over.”

Parsons shook off the jokes from Brown but was clear that he felt like it was an A-plus pick, just for value. The Eagles lost Javon Hargrave to free agency, with the veteran defensive tackle inking a four-year, $84 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers. Now they have a young, talented prospect in Carter — on a much smaller salary — to help fill that hole.