The Cowboys defense has been a lot better in 2021 than it was in 2020, and Micah Parsons has played a huge role in that improvement.Parsons, the first-round pick for the Cowboys out of Penn State, has put together one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history. He has 79 tackles, 12 sacks and three forced fumbles in his first 14 games, and he has only gotten better throughout the season. There has been no "rookie wall" for the dominant defender.As a result of his performance, Parsons has gotten universal praise andlooks like a shoo-in for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.But could Parsons compete for an even loftier award Defensive Player of the Year? Apparently, some NFL executives like his chances.PRO BOWL 2022: Parsons will win Defensive Rookie of the Year barring asurprise, but can he compete for the Defensive Player of the Year award? Some NFL executives believe that he could, as reported in a recent article."Micah's having a hell of a year," an NFC executive said. "Every time we study the Cowboys , he's making plays Anthony Gose Jersey all over the joint. And he's such a versatile piece. Whether he's playing off the edge, playing in the middle, dropping, moving forward he's sideline to sideline. He's easily the Defensive Rookie of the Year, and I don't know that he's not the DefensivePlayerof the Year."That's some lofty praise, but it is warranted. Parsons has been one of the most versatile defenders in the NFL, as he has played a significant role on both the defensive line and at linebacker for the Cowboys.According to , Parsons has lined up on the defensive line for332 snaps, or 41.3percent of his total snaps. He has lined up in the box at the linebacker positions on438 snaps, 54.5 percent of his total snaps. That's nearly a 50-50 split, and that's impre sive considering that Parsons was drafted to be a middle linebacker for the team.Why has Parsons lined up on the defensive line so much? It's all about his pa s-rushing ability,as one AFC executive told Peli sero."Really, the pa s rush is what separates him," said an AFC executive. "He's just got an incredible get-off, burst, so explosive, can beat you with speed, speed-to-power and he's getting a better arsenal."Parsons' versatility, pa s rush pre sure and overall statistics will keep him in the Defensive Player of the Year discu sion. That said, only one player in NFL history has been able to win that award as a rookie:Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor.MORE: Parsons has drawn some lofty comparisons to the great Taylor thanks to his rookie year performance.That includes kind words from Saquon Barkley, who was particularly impre sed with him ahead of the Giants' second meeting with the Cowboys.Ive never really seen anything like him. Hes really LT-like, to be honest,Barkley told in mid-December. It is what it is: Hes insane. Every week, Parsons is one of those guys that, even if I cant watch his game, Ill look and say, What is he doing?"And I am not just saying this because were friends. The sky is really the limit with him. If he keeps working hard and keeping his head on straight, he can be even better than he is now. Thats the scary thing."Barkley is right, as Parsons' first-year production actually stacks up well with Taylor's. While Taylor was a more ferocious tackler than Parsons during his first season, Parsons has, surprisingly, fared better as a pa s rusher. Heis projected to tie the NFL's rookie sack record set by Jevon Kearse in 1999 at 14.5, as you can see in his projections for a 17-game season below.StatLawrence TaylorMicah Parsons projectionsTackles13387Sacks9.514.5Even if Parsons doesn't get another sack this season, he'll still rank seventhall-time among rookies with his 12 sacks. Meanwhile, Taylor, who is considered one of the greatest pa s rushers in NFL history, had 9.5 sacks as a rookie, though thenumber is technically unofficial, as sacks weren't counted as an official stat until 1982.He would go on to average nearly 11 sacks per game and posted a 20.5-sack season in 1986.But as a rookie, Parsons has him beaten as as pa s rusher. How impre sive is this for Parsons? Well, considering that he was drafted into the league as a linebacker and wasn't expected to be a key edge rusher in Dallas' 4-3 defensive alignment, it's a big accomplishment.Injuries forced him to play on the defensive line more, and he has delivered with these ma sive sack numbers.Despite his succe s and the praise from fellow NFL players like Barkley,Parsons isn't yet willing to put himself in the pantheon with the all-time greats and Hall of Famers like Taylor."It's really too early," Parsons said of being compared to Taylor,. "I could see the similarities. But LT was completely different. It's an honor that people are doing that. But to be compared to a Hall of Famer so early on, I mean it's not ready to be in the conversation yet. I still have a long way to go."That said Francisco Liriano Jersey , Parsons also acknowledged that he is working very hard to ensure that he can eventually become one of those greats.That drive I have inside of me, wanting to be great, wanting to do more, wanting more on my plate just comes with wanting to do this, Parsons said. I dont think nobody can become something by sitting back and watch and waiting for something to happen. I am trying to initiate it to happen.As such, he may become a perennial candidate for Defensive Player of the Year if he keeps this up.SAINTS QB DEPTH CHART: The NFL has awarded the Defensive Player of the Year award since 1971. In its history, the award has gone to a defensive lineman 24 times, as defensive back 10 times and a linebacker 16 times. Three of those 16 linebacker awards went to Lawrence Taylor.If Parsons is able to win the award, he would become the first linebacker to win the award since Luke Kuechly took home the hardware in 2013. Parsons would also become the first Cowboy to win the award since Harvey Martin, a defensive end, won it back in 1977.Below is the full list of the award winners in chronological order.SeasonPlayerPositionTeam1971Alan PageDefensive tackleVikings1972Joe GreeneDefensive tackleSteelers1973Dick AndersonSafetyDolphins1974Joe GreeneDefensive tackleSteelers1975Mel BlountCornerbackSteelers1976Jack LambertLinebackerSteelers1977Harvey MartinDefensive endCowboys1978Randy GradisharLinebackerBroncos1979Lee Roy SelmonDefensive endBuccaneers1980Lester HayesCornerbackRaiders1981Lawrence TaylorLinebackerGiants1982Lawrence TaylorLinebackerGiants1983Doug BettersDefensive endDolphins1984Kenny EasleySafetySeahawks1985Mike SingletaryLinebackerBears1986Lawrence TaylorLinebackerGiants1987Reggie WhiteDefensive endEagles1988Mike SingletaryLinebackerBears1989Keith MillardDefensive tackleVikings1990Bruce SmithDefensive endBills1991Pat SwillingLinebackerSaints1992Cortez KennedyDefensive tackleSeahawks1993Rod WoodsonCornerbackSteelers1994Deion SandersCornerback49ers1995Bryce PaupLinebackerBills1996Bruce SmithDefensive endBills1997Dana StubblefieldDefensive tackle49ers1998Reggie WhiteDefensive endPackers1999Warren SappDefensive tackleBuccaneers2000Ray LewisLinebackerRavens2001Michael StrahanDefensive endGiants2002Derrick BrooksLinebackerBuccaneers2003Ray LewisLinebackerRavens2004Ed ReedSafetyRavens2005Brian UrlacherLinebackerBears2006Jason TaylorDefensive endDolphins2007Bob SandersSafetyColts2008James HarrisonLinebackerSteelers2009Charles WoodsonCornerbackPackers2010Troy PolamaluSafetySteelers2011Terrell SuggsLinebackerRavens2012J. J. WattDefensive endTexans2013Luke KuechlyLinebackerPanthers2014J. J. WattDefensive endTexans2015J. J. WattDefensive endTexans2016Khalil MackDefensive endRaiders2017Aaron DonaldDefensive tackleRams2018Aaron DonaldDefensive tackleRams2019Stephon GilmoreCornerbackPatriots2020Aaron DonaldDefensive tackleRams