It’s too early for the Eagles to think about tanking, right? Not if the “Water Boy” is available.
Penn State’s Micah Parsons opted out of the 2020 football season — he might opt back in, according to Penn Live — and it doesn’t matter. There’s enough film out there for scouts to salivate over, and possibly put a new crack in the Liberty Bell.
The 6-foot-3, 245-pounder has been called the best linebacker prospect in a decade, a freak athlete — 4.43 in the 40 — who was named the Butkus–Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year in 2019 while drawing comparisons to Luke Kuechly. Better than Isaiah Simmons, the No. 8 pick in 2020.
“Parsons has ideal size, athleticism, and production for a linebacker prospect, and he was only a sophomore last season,” said Pro Football Focus draft analyst Mike Renner. “If he could have declared for the 2020 NFL Draft, the chances are he would have been selected before Isaiah Simmons.”
Big. Strong. Athletic. Smart. Motivated. There aren’t really enough adjectives or kudos for Parsons, so … watch the highlights:
Parsons finished with 109 tackles (14 for loss) and five sacks last year while breaking up five passes and forcing four fumbles. He’s a polished product and loves the challenge of attacking every phase of the game, including special teams.
While Penn State never risked putting him out there on kickoffs, the Harrisburg native has begged for the opportunity. He was a star defensive end, running back, kicker and punter in high school, per The Collegian.
Micah Parsons (@Micah_Parsons11) played a heck of a game against Michigan. 11 tackles, his instincts and speed to the ball is next level, he is just a playmaker. He was a force Saturday night.
“I believe there is always something you can learn,” Parsons told Benjamin Ferree. “Even the greats aren’t assassins yet. You can become close to an assassin and maybe at one point in the year you can be an assassin. I looked at my game and dang, I really want to be an assassin. I want to be a great player. It changed me.”
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Parsons & Eagles, How It Might Work Out
When will Parsons come off the draft board? Better yet, how many games will the Eagles need to lose to get him? Well, the estimates are all over the place.
CBS Sports had the Penn State stud heading to Carolina at No. 2 overall. Bleacher Report had him No. 8, to the Giants — and Pro Football Network pegged him to the Bengals at No. 3. Meanwhile, Walter Football curiously put Parsons at No. 23 to San Francisco. The latter was most likely due to Parsons decision to opt out.
The Eagles have been battered by injuries in 2020.
Could this new 7-round mock draft solve their problems?
It’s way too early — remember, it’s only Week 3 — to tell how the 0-2 Eagles will end up in 2020. They held the No. 21 pick last year after finishing 9-7 and winning the NFC East, but that position could drop dramatically if Philly can’t start stringing together some victories. The next three games present must-win matchups with the surprisingly tough Bengals (Sept. 27), Super Bowl runner-up 49ers (Oct. 4) and perennial contender Steelers (Oct. 11). Good luck.
The Philadelphia #Eagles are dead last in DVOA after 2 weeks. Since 1985, only one team ranked dead last after 2 weeks and still made the playoffs: the 1989 Pittsburgh Steelers. (1/2)
“It’s a long season. It’s pretty simple. It’s not the end of the world. We still have 14 more games left,” Miles Sanders said, who played with Parson at Penn State in 2018. “We’ve had a lot of setbacks last year and despite of all the stuff that happened last year, we still made the playoffs. So I still think anything is possible and it’s still early in the season.”
If they don’t figure it out, it might not be the worst thing in the world. Ten or more losses would probably get them in the mix — 4-12 seems ideal — for Parsons. If not, they could consider trading up for the best linebacker prospect in a decade.
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Miss for Micah: Eagles Could Land Perfect Prize in 2021 NFL Draft