Getty Penn State LB Micah Parsons is a likely Top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and maybe Top-5.
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Micah Parsons hopes to drape a Dallas Cowboys star over his 6-foot-3, 245-pound frame on April 29.
A little more than a month after expressing his desire to stay in “that blue and white,” Parsons — a presumptive top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL draft — again advocated joining the Cowboys.
In an AMA with fans via Instagram, the dynamic Penn State linebacker wrote he wants to “start where I finished” when which team he prefers to land with, alongside a photo of himself before a game at AT&T Stadium (h/t Cowboys Reddit).
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Parsons Scouting Report
Arguably the top linebacker in the incoming class, Parsons notched 99 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and five pass deflections across 2018-2019, his freshman and sophomore seasons. He opted out of the 2020 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A true three-down ‘backer, the 21-year-old is the total package, able to effectively plug the run and cover opposing receivers. He’s a rocked-up 6-foot-3, 244 pounds with sideline-to-sideline speed. He can blitz. He’s instinctual. He’s even able to double as an edge-rusher. As such, NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah compared Parsons to current Cowboys LB Jaylon Smith.
“I loved the way Smith played in college,” Jeremiah wrote in June 2020. “If not for that gruesome injury he suffered against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, he would’ve been one of the first players off the board in the 2016 draft. He has since recovered to have an outstanding career in Dallas. Parsons has a similar build and playing style. They are both so explosive and aggressive. It’s hard to find players with this type of agility and athleticism without sacrificing the size.”
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Prime First-Round Option
If he’s on the board when the Cowboys go on the clock at No. 10 overall, and they eschew an offensive tackle or cornerback, owner Jerry Jones and VP Stephen Jones should consider (virtually) running Parsons’ card to commissioner Roger Goodell.
He’d be a ready-made successor to ILB Sean Lee, an impending free agent, and/or valuable insurance for OLB Leighton Vander Esch, an annual injury risk who’s unsigned beyond 2021. In Dallas, at least initially, Parsons would function as a moveable chess piece for new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, similarly to how Quinn used LB Deion Jones in Atlanta.
Although it’s difficult to evaluate a prospect whose film is relatively dated, there’s no denying Parsons’ upside at the next level. He’s drawn NFL comparisons ranging from Colts’ Pro Bowler Darius Leonard to former Panthers’ All-Pro Luke Kuechly.
“Micah Parsons is an elite linebacker prospect. But more than that, he’s an elite potential chess piece at the NFL level,” Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings wrote in his scouting profile. “He likely won’t last past the top 10 picks, so the Penn State linebacker’s best fits will be reserved for those who’ll have an opportunity to select him.
In truth, the Panthers, Eagles, Cowboys, Chargers, and Giants could all use a player like Parsons, but his best fit in the top 10 might be the Miami Dolphins.”
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL