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The Dallas Cowboys may, at long last, have a Micah Parsons replacement in their future, and that comes as a relief.
Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys famously traded away pass rusher Micah Parsons in August of 2025 in a blockbuster deal, with the Cowboys trading the All-Pro to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. But, the Cowboys are still looking, in a sense, to replace Parsons and beef up their edge room, especially following the franchise not being able to secure pass rusher Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders.
After the Parsons trade, the Parsons signed a four-year, $188 million extension with the Green Bay Packers, according to NFL research, making him, at the time, the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. So, it would have been quite expensive to keep Parsons, and that was likely part of the reasoning behind the Cowboys trading him away.
But, the team really does need more edge depth and a star player to beef up their lineup. If it’s not going to be Crosby, the team will have to look elsewhere to meet their defensive end needs. Thankfully, there’s a player in the 2026 NFL draft who may be an apt fit.
Dallas Cowboys Could Bring Up-and-Coming Pass Rusher to Texas for the 2026-27 Season
The 2026 NFL draft is just around the corner in April, and there’s an available a pass rusher who may work for the Cowboys. In a Tuesday, March 24, feature for ESPN, NFL reporter and expert Field Yates gives his picks for which players will go early in the NFL draft.
“We still have a long road ahead, with pro days just starting up around the country,” Yates says in the feature, which covers two rounds. “But for now, it’s safe to make some predictions for the first two rounds based on team needs, my personal rankings and what I’m hearing from people around the league.”
The Cowboys’ first pick is the No. 12 pick, and Yates sees them going with cornerback Jermod McCoy out of Tennessee for that choice. But, he also sees them making another deal with the Packers to move to No. 20 in the draft and pick up edge R Mason Thomas of Oklahoma.
“Thomas is my type of football player as an explosive, powerful and relentless pass rusher,” Yates says in the piece. “Plus, he has heavy hands and a nasty attitude when defending the run at 21 run stops over the past two seasons.”
Even though the player had an injury for part of the 2025 season, he still notched 6.5 sacks and 23 pressures in nine games, according to ESPN research. “The Cowboys must keep hammering away at their pass rush to find some semblance of what they had with Micah Parsons,” Yates adds. “Dallas traded for edge rusher Rashan Gary to boost this same initiative.”
Rising Edge Has ‘Athletic Tackles’ and ‘Quick Pass Slides’
Thomas’ NFL draft profile says the player is an “explosive speed rusher with the ability to shave the edge tightly or create surprising push with leverage and speed-to-power conversion.”
As for some of the negatives, “He needs to improve his hand work to create openings and counter long, athletic tackles with quick pass slides.” But, he’ll be starter-ready soon, with the NFL stating that he’ll, “benefit from a wider alignment as an odd-front edge with the potential to earn a starting job within his first two seasons.”
So, he may not be Parsons today. But, Thomas could be molded into a fantastic pass rusher, like Parsons.
Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter for Heavy Sports covering the NFL, NBA and college football. Anne Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson
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