Micah Parsons, Drafted As A Linebacker, Was Forced To Play EDGE Yesterday And Had The Most Dominant Rookie Display Since Nick Bosa In 2019

"Since 2019" doesn't feel all that long ago, but I do feel like it's worth noting when human cyborg and all around monster Chase Young was a rookie last year. This isn't me, or anyone else, saying Parsons is a better EDGE than Young, that would be preposterous. But I do think it's noteworthy that Parsons was able to make that much of an impact in his first crack at lining up against a tackle and repeatedly eating his lunch. 

With the way athletes are trending, it feels like every year we're promised some sort of hybrid, do-it-all type player you can plug into whatever matchup you want on a given week and prosper. We heard it about Derwin James a few years back, and that's been extremely true - when he's been healthy. We heard it about Isaiah Simmons coming out of Clemson last year, then the Cardinals took him eighth overall and largely didn't know how to use him at all in his rookie campaign. Parsons was never really touted to be quite the Swiss Army Knife as either of those two, but his speed and size coming out of Penn State did lend to some #takes that he could line up all over the front seven. To see him play out in space against Tom Brady Week 1, then slide to EDGE Week 2 and dominate the Chargers for four quarters, is nothing short of impressive. And sure, you can say all you want about the Chargers line not being elite, that's fine, I guess. But to be a rookie, find out you're playing EDGE three days before your second career game, and be as effective as a Bosa your first time out is a hell of an accomplishment no matter how you try and downplay it. 

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Hell, if Zeke and Tony Pollard go down for a week, I'm sure Parsons wouldn't mind toting the rock for a handful of plays.