FRISCO, Texas — As Thursday night bled into Friday morning in April 2021 during the NFL draft, Dallas Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones repeated: “Pressure, pressure, pressure.”
The Cowboys were mere hours removed from selecting Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons with the 12th overall draft pick, a surprise decision. Drafting a cornerback or safety? That would have checked out for a franchise whose secondary had struggled mightily in recent years. Choosing a defensive end to wreck pockets? That, too, could have been justified given the value of rushing in an increasingly pass-heavy league.