80 Prospects in 80 Days: Penn State LB Micah Parsons
Each day leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft, we will take a look at prospects that should be on the Carolina Panthers' radar. We will look at roughly eleven prospects per round to give a better idea of potential draftees beyond just the first round.
Here's our schedule for the next 80 days:
1st Round: Feb. 8th - Feb. 21st
2nd Round: Feb. 22nd - Mar. 6th
3rd Round: Mar. 7th - Mar. 18th
4th Round: Mar 19th - Mar. 29th
5th Round: Mar. 30th - Apr. 8th
6th Round: Apr. 9th - Apr. 18th
7th Round: Apr. 19th - Apr. 28th
Prospect No. 3: LB Micah Parsons
College: Penn State
Height: 6'3" Weight: 245 lbs
Draft range: Top 10
Analysis: Every NFL Draft there are always a handful of freakish athletes that can do just about anything on the football field. In this year's draft class, Micah Parsons can be labeled as one of those kinds of guys. He has tremendous speed, lateral quickness, and will wreak havoc in the backfield on a consistent basis.
Parsons did opt out of the 2020 season which could be concerning for teams in terms of his conditioning and whether or not a year away from the game will show on the field. If he is able to prove to scouts that he is in tip-top shape and performs well at his Pro Day, it's hard to see Parsons falling out of the top five or six picks. Not only can Parsons be a starting linebacker, but he has the potential to be one of the top linebackers in the league down the road.
If there is one thing the Panthers desperately need on the defensive side of the ball, it's an agile/athletic linebacker that can team up with Shaq Thompson to help sure-up the second level of the defense.
Inside analysis from Mark Wogenrich of All Penn State on Sports Illustrated:
Micah Parsons was among Penn State's best off-ball linebackers of the past decade, even though he played just two seasons and started one. He's an edge rusher who can cover a tight end and a side-to-side linebacker who can make plays in the backfield. About the only thing he didn't do in college was make an interception. He dropped a choice opportunity in the 2019 Cotton Bowl, his last college game. Parsons certainly is a top-10 pick, but the experience factor makes you wonder if he's truly plug-and-play as a rookie. Parsons, a high school defensive end, has played just two full seasons at linebacker. Then he opted out of 2020. Parsons no doubt sharpened his athletic edge during that time, but he might need extra time to re-polish his game.
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