Mike McCarthy says Dallas Cowboys star LB Micah Parsons deserves DPOY over Nick Bosa

With a league-leading 17.5 sacks, while spearheading the No. 1 defense, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is the current favorite to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year Honors.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker/defensive end Micah Parsons, who finished second as a rookie last season, is Bosa’s biggest competition for the award.

Parsons has fourth in the NFL with 13 sacks but he is first in pass-rush win rate

And because he plays linebacker as well as defensive end, Parsons is also more productive with 62 solo tackles and three forced fumbles to Bosa’s 48 and two.

Parsons has also returned a fumble for a touchdown this season.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said Parson’s total productivity and versatility as well as the relentless nature he plays the game with should put him over the top.

“I think he’s had that level of production for the season,” McCarthy said. “He gets a tremendous amount of attention, he impacts the game even when it doesn’t show up on the stat chart. And no different for Nick Bosa.

“Having a chance to compete, those are the guys who keep you up a little bit later when you’re thinking about protection, third down, situational football. And I think the biggest thing too for Micah is his ability to – a couple of those scrambles the past week, the way he closes down and runs down a quarterback. He can make plays all over the field. Impact player at an elite level and makes everyone around him better.”