Opinion: The next LT? Let's not compare Cowboys rookie Micah Parsons to Lawrence Taylor just yet

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Want to offend a fan of the New York Giants?

Compare an opposing player to Lawrence Taylor. 

Want to anger Giants fans even more? Remind them their favorite team passed on that player in the most recent NFL draft.

And, oh yeah, that player creating all the hype wound up on the hated Dallas Cowboys, too.

Cowboys rookie Micah Parsons is causing quite a stir in the NFL, and after his dominant performance against Washington last Sunday, he's entered the conversation for accolades befitting legends, not just first-year players in the league.

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Parsons is trying to follow the path Taylor blazed in 1981 when he was named Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. He's a legitimate contender, there's no question, but the hyperbole has reached iconic status – so much that opposing coaches have suggested we tap the brakes a bit.

“He’s started to have a heck of a career,” Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said when asked about Parsons on Tuesday's “Dan Patrick Show.” The Buccaneers beat the Cowboys in Week 1. "But when you’re talking about the best defensive player in the history of this league [Taylor], slow down a little on it.”

Parsons has 12 sacks, 75 tackles and three forced fumbles for the NFC East-leading Cowboys, who come to MetLife Stadium on Sunday to face the Giants for the second time this season.

When Taylor's name has come up, Parsons has downplayed being mentioned in the same sentence, at least somewhat. The Cowboys' linebacker recently said he wants to be “my own man" and become the level of player to whom others are compared.

In a bit of a surprise, Dallas owner Jerry Jones – perhaps the greatest promoter of his own brand in NFL history – refused to go down that road with Parsons and Taylor during his weekly interview with 105.3 FM The Fan in Dallas.

"Well, I won't make a comparison for reasons you talk about, every time, I've always been criticized for that," Jones said. "And [Parsons] shouldn't have that. He has a uniqueness, he's unbelievably established this where people are making comments about him, that ought to stand on its own. That's the other unique thing: he really doesn't have to have a comparison at this point. He's having that kind of production on the field."

Parsons was scouted heavily by the Giants, and he was viewed, on talent and potential, as a game-changer. But there were some character concerns with Parsons, although the Giants certainly had him in the mix.

Ultimately, the allure of adding an additional first-round pick prompted the Giants to move down and bypass the chance to select Parsons and offensive tackle Rashawn Slater, who went to the Chargers.  

Remember that top 10 pick the Giants are getting from the Bears when you spend this week hearing all about the Parsons experience in Dallas.

"This guy, coming out of college, we knew he was going to be an impact player. We had a lot of love for this guy in this building, a lot of respect for him and we knew he was going to be a good player," Giants coach Joe Judge said. "They're using him in different spots right now, [Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn] is doing a really good job of matching him up and letting him play to his pass rush skill set, playing coverage with his speed. He's really become a factor in a lot of different areas." 

Parsons has registered a sack in six straight games.

The Cowboys picked Parsons 12th overall after the Giants moved out of the 11th spot, trading with the Bears at No. 20, where Big Blue took Kadarius Toney in addition to receiving the 2022 first-rounder.

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Toney dominated the Cowboys in a losing effort back in October with 189 yards receiving, and he also was ejected from the game after a brief dust-up for throwing a punch at a Cowboys player. But Toney has missed the last three games with an oblique injury suffered at Tampa Bay, and now he's on the reserve/COVID list after testing positive for the second time Monday. He also missed time back at the beginning of training camp, and his rookie season has been a strange roller coaster of emotions.

"You've got to know where he is on the field," Judge said of Parsons. "They're moving him around. They're definitely doing a lot of his skill set to help the defense. This guy is a phenomenal player. I don't think anyone's surprised by that. We knew he was gonna be a really good player coming out. I think it's a tribute to how they're using him down there to his strengths, and how he's able to complement that defense and make a lot of impact plays." 

Art Stapleton is the Giants beat writer for NorthJersey.com. Email: stapleton@northjersey.com; Twitter: @art_stapleton