Micah Parsons Makes Bold Prediction About Packers’ Cornerbacks

Diggs was a first-round pick but Bland was only a fifth-round selection. Maybe the entire league missed the boat on Bland. Or maybe he was a creation of the Parsons-fueled pass rush, a possibility that could mean big things for the Packers’ primary coverage players, Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs, Javon Bullard and Carrington Valentine.

“That ball’s going to come out a whole lot quicker,” Parsons said. “But that’s what it’s about, though. It’s about feeding off each other, making plays off each other. It’s a team game, you know what I mean? They hold the coverage, third-and-5, they play tight coverage, I get a coverage sack. There might be a time where they might get cooked but the ball’s coming out early because I made up for it.

“That’s what it’s about. And that’s what they should be excited about. I think it’s exciting, making plays for each other and putting each other in position so we can win football games.”

Acquired last week in a huge trade with Dallas, Parsons’ availability for Sunday’s game was never in doubt. Having missed all of training camp in his contract dispute with the Cowboys, he’ll probably play limited snaps against Detroit.

But he’ll be on the field for all the important ones against an offense that scored 39 more points than any other team last season.

“On those rushing downs, the ball’s probably going to come out quicker than it previously would or it usually does,” Hobbs said. “Because I feel like the quarterback, there’s going to be a timer in his mind. He’s already going to be a little antsy.

“We’ve already got RG (Rashan Gary), we’ve already got premium inside rushers and we’ve already got great linebackers who can rush the quarterback. You put a guy like Micah Parsons on the other side, and guys lose the rep before the rep starts, honestly. I just feel like it makes you as a DB just play even more confident.”

That quicker timer, obviously, means opposing quarterbacks will have to play faster and opposing receivers will have less time to get open or get deep.

“Hopefully, it’ll be a lot different,” safety Evan Williams said. “I’ve been joking with my family group chat this whole week, they’re talking about, ‘You’ve got 1 less second to cover.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I hope so.’ I hope it translates like that. That’s a guy that we’re definitely very grateful to pick up. Makes my job a whole lot easier from the back end, understanding that you don’t have to cover as long.

“You’ve got a guy like that screaming off the edge, even if he’s not getting to the quarterback, he’s picking up a double team, picking up a triple team, making life easier on other people. It’s definitely huge for us on the back end. We’re definitely very thankful for that.”

Last season, Green Bay finished ninth in the NFL in opponent passer rating, thanks in large part to Xavier McKinney’s eight interceptions, but they were 25th in opponent completion percentage and 11th in yards per attempt.

This offseason, the Packers signed Hobbs – a part-time starter for the Raiders – released Jaire Alexander and added only one other cornerback, Micah Robinosn, in the seventh round of the draft.

With a gauntlet of elite quarterbacks and receivers on the schedule, how would that secondary hold up?

Parsons should help. A lot.

“God is good all the time and all the time God is — hey, boy, he is good! For real,” Hobbs said. “We’re going to be rushing that quarterback, I’m just thankful to God, because I’m going to catch it when it’s thrown to me.”

Defensive passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley recalled a game against the Cowboys in 2023 when he was an assistant coach for the Chargers. Dallas won 20-17, with Brandon Aubrey kicking a go-ahead field goal with 2:19 to play and Parsons sacking Justin Herbert on second-and-2 after the 2-minute warning.

“Micah Parsons, yeah, we got a hell of a lot better,” Derrick Ansley said. “This guy, in my opinion as a secondary guy, he’s a game accelerator. He speeds everything up – run or pass.

“He would come around the edge a couple times and just swallow up our quarterback and thought, that guy’s a real guy. Yeah, we’re happy to have him. He’s been great. You see his personality with the guys, already affecting those guys. It’s been good. It’s been good.”