2 Cowboys’ defenders named to PFF’s mid-season All-Pro team

The Dallas Cowboys are 6-2 as a team, but there’s no denying their defense has been the main reason for the hot start. Dallas’ defense has recorded the most sacks(33), the seventh-most takeaways (13), and allowed the third-fewest points (133). Two players on Dallas’ defense, Micah Parsons and Malik Hooker, have played well enough to earn themselves a spot on Pro Football Focus’s Mid-Season All-Pro team.

Parsons was named a first-team edge rusher, alongside Myles Garrett, and Hooker was named a second-team safety.

Here’s what PFF had to say about Parsons.

Micah Parsons has transitioned to a full-time edge rusher who still moonlights on occasion as an off-ball linebacker, and his threat as a pass-rusher is overwhelming to offenses. He has 39 pressures and 20 defensive stops this season while opening things up for other Cowboys pass-rushers to make a major impact with less attention on them.

Parsons has been arguably the best defensive player in football through his first eight games. The linebacker is tied for the third–most sacks in the league (8.0), has the fourth-best pass-rush grade (91.3), and fifth-best overall defensive grade (90.9) in football, via PFF.

While Parsons being named to the midseason All-Pro team won’t come as a shock, Hooker receiving the honors may surprise some. Quietly, the former first-round pick is having one of the best seasons of his career.

So far this year the 26-year-old has been dominant in coverage. Hooker’s 80.8 coverage grade is the sixth-best of any defender in football (min 100 snaps), via PFF.

Hooker also has allowed just three receptions for 16 yards on the season and his 82.6 defensive grade is the second-best on the Cowboys' defense behind only Micah Parsons. The Cowboys will need both Parsons and Hooker to carry their stellar play into the second half of the season if they want to continue their dominant defensive effort.