The Green Bay Packers shook the NFL world last year when they acquired edge rusher Micah Parsons in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys.
Parsons gave Green Bay’s defense a huge boost, but his 2025 season was unfortunately cut short when he tore his ACL in Week 15. Despite that, he is still considered one of the premier player in the league, which was reaffirmed again on Wednesday.
Green Bay Packers EDGE Micah Parsons Lands at No. 2 in ESPN’s Pass Rusher Rankings
GettyPackers EDGE Micah Parsons
ESPN is rolling out their positional rankings over the next two weeks, which are determined by NFL executives, coaches, and scouts. On Wednesday they turned their attention to the pass rushers, which featured Parsons coming in second only to Myles Garrett.
“Parsons is so good on the field that he jumped a spot in the ranking despite suffering an ACL tear in December. The tape is that good. Parsons’ metrics are the separator, providing a glimpse into how he can eventually catch Garrett in the voting. Parsons finished second in pass rush win rate (24.6%) despite facing a double-team 37.8% of the time — nearly eight percentage points higher than the next-closest player (Garrett). Parsons is one of five players in NFL history to record at least 65 sacks through their first five seasons, joining Derrick Thomas, T.J. Watt, J.J. Watt and Reggie White. Parsons’ 315 pressures since entering the NFL in 2021 are 23 more than any other player during that span. And no player has 12 or more sacks in each of his first five seasons.”
In 14 games last season, Parsons recorded 41 total tackles (12 for loss), 12.5 sacks, and one pass defensed. An anonymous veteran defensive coach believes that Parsons is the most versatile pass rusher in the league.
“Elite burst and closing speed to make plays. [He] has the most rush versatility of the group. Consistently wins over centers and guards and tackles, it doesn’t matter where he is.”
Parsons’ high end athleticism has played a big part in his success throughout his career. An anonymous coordinator stated that Parsons and Garrett are the clear cut top two pass rushers in the NFL.
“There are two guys that never really get blocked in the NFL, and it’s those two guys — Myles and Micah,” an NFL coordinator said. “You do what you can with movements and quick game, and it’s not enough.”
Packers Need Parsons to Remain Healthy to Contend for Super Bowl
GettyPackers EDGE Micah Parsons
Green Bay has pushed a lot of chips in on Parsons after giving up two first-round draft picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark to acquire him. That’s not to mention the four-year, $188 million contract he received upon his arrival.
The Packers didn’t win a single game after Parsons went down last season. If they are truly to be a Super Bowl contender, Parsons will not only have to be available, but at the top of his game. Unfortunately, it is very likely that he will miss the first quarter of the 2026 season.
However, missing time at the beginning of the year rather than the end is ideal. Even if it takes him multiple weeks to get back in the swing of things, Parsons should be at full strength by the stretch run of the season. Having him in peak form could tip the scales in Green Bay’s favor during tight postseason games.
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