During the NFC’s 6-1 victory over the AFC in the Pro Bowl Skills Showdown on Thursday at Las Vegas Ballpark, 15 of the league’s best players competed in an assortment of challenges, with the deciding event coming down to dodgeball.
But before Justin Jefferson of the Vikings helped seal the win for the NFC with a one-handed grab of a knockout attempt from Nick Chubb of the Browns to snap a two-year winning streak for the AFC, rookie Micah Parsons of the Cowboys pulled off the upset of the night by winning the “Fastest Man” race in Vegas.
Listed at 245 pounds, Parsons was still somehow able to beat out Chubb, a running back, Trevon Diggs, a defensive back, and Tyreek Hill, a game-breaking wide receiver who is widely regarded as the fastest players in the NFL, in the 40-yard dash.
Running without a shirt to slow him down, Parsons edged Chubb by a few inches after Hill, who is nicknamed Cheetah and TyFreak, pulled up and slowed down ahead of the finish line. Afterward, Parsons suggested Hill wasn’t giving his top effort in the race.
“I know he didn’t come out and give it his best; he just played a couple of days ago,” Parsons said. “He’s the fastest man in the league. I’m just happy to be somewhere in the middle. I do want a Madden 95 speed, though.” Regardless of his speed in the game or on the field, Parsons was named the 2022 Madden Awards Rookie of the Year on Thursday.
Parsons isn’t faster than Hill, but he’s already one of the best defenders in the NFL after being selected with the 12th overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft and going on to accrue 84 total tackles, 30 quarterback hits, 20 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, three forced fumbles, three passes defended and first-team All-Pro honors in his first year of work as a pro.
Though he won’t win, Parsons is one of the candidates who should be in consideration for MVP this season if the award somehow doesn’t go to a quarterback.
“There’s a legitimate case for Parsons as Defensive Player of the Year as a mere rookie,” per ESPN. “Parsons ranked first in pass rush win rate among all qualifiers this season (29%). That rate alone would not be enough to make his case because his versatility as an effective edge rusher and an off-ball linebacker means he rushed the passer less frequently than the other sack artists. In other words: he does all the other stuff well, too. He ranked 22 out of 76 qualifiers in run stop win rate when lined up as an off-ball linebacker. And his 0.6 yards per coverage snap allowed as a nearest defender was fourth-best among linebackers with at least 200 coverage snaps, per NFL Next Gen Stats. As a rookie, he made his place among top linebackers.”
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