NFL Draft 2021 Scouting Report: ILB Micah Parsons, Penn State

2021 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

*Our LB grades can and will change as more information comes in from Pro Day workouts, leaked Wonderlic test results, etc. We will update ratings as new info becomes available.

You’re not going to find anyone against Micah Parsons as a legit NFL starting linebacker or even doubting him. Nor will anyone dispute he’s a 1st-round pick, the best ILB prospect, a top 10-20 pick overall. There is not one football person anti-Parsons. And that includes me.

I’m not the voice of the contrarians on this, I’m on the team. And it would be ridiculous for me to cherry pick some plays and point out what Parsons was doing, and how good it was, to make the case. It’s a waste of time – everyone is down for the Parsons cause.

I will touch on some possible negatives and things swept under the rug with Parsons for some context…things the fawning mainstream football people don’t discuss or even broach. But first, let’s make the case FOR Parsons, and discuss how good he might be…

Physically, Parsons could be a freak of nature prospect. With each passing year now, it seems, we are getting even freakier freaks…which is going to happen as training methods, science, and genetics continue to improve. It’s possible Parsons will come in close to/at 250 pounds, 6’2”+, and run a low 4.4s 40-time. He might even run 4.3s at a favorable location Pro Day. If he runs a 4.39, let’s say, at near/at 250 pounds – people are going to freak out, and they should. Rare few in history will have ever run that fast at that weight.

The most impressive Parsons physical capability is one we may not even get to see in his Pro Day drills/times – he has, arguably, the best ‘feet’/the best lateral movement skills of any interior linebacker on the planet today. At 250 pounds, the guy just effortlessly moves side-to-side like he’s floating on air…like he’s an elite WR off the snap. He’s special in agility…and he probably won’t even run a three- cone or shuttle just to show it, because he doesn’t have to do anything for anybody. He’s that good/well-regarded a prospect. He is above the peons. The NFL establishment has already endorsed him. He’s a ‘made guy’ for the NFL Draft.

People say he’s a better Devin White, and with the way White finished 2020-21 season, if that White comparison is valid – he’s arguably the ‘best linebacker in pro football’ type of prospect.

Parsons is so good he ‘opted-out’ of 2020 season, as he should have to protect his NFL Draft stock, and no one blinked. He had nothing he needs to prove…he was already that ‘made guy’. Opting out only serves to keep Parsons ‘fresh’ and in peak physical condition because all he’s been doing the past six months is training for the NFL Draft.

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2021 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT

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If you want to get a feel for how good Parsons can be, watch his final college game (a bowl game vs. Memphis), where he was the MVP of the game: https://youtu.be/F3k7qgWsGUc

Parsons is a physical freak and has some tape to back it up. He’s a top 5-10-15 NFL Draft prospect all day long.

What about some things on him that would be of concern?

-- He has had some dust ups off-the-field that got him some negative attention but are probably more ‘things that happen to five-star football players/recruits’ (with all the attention they get).

*Here’s my very quick takes on these issues. They may have more layers, but I’m just doing my own ‘drive by’ on them.

1) He got suspended at his high school midseason for a minor incident and in anger/frustration switched high schools and immediately played for the other high school to finish the season (yep, rules get waived when you’re a five-star player).

2) Was dropped in the recruiting process by Ohio State because he took a picture with Kirk Herbstreit (illegal). Parsons also had an OSU official visit at a game they lost, and he tweeted out something about OSU needing to bring in the backup QB (Haskins) over starter (J.T. Barrett) – and Urban Meyer just ended all ties with recruiting him at that point.

3) Parsons, and his dad (heading up his recruiting process) had run-ins/complaints/issues with his high school, as we mentioned above…and the dad had issues with Ohio State, with Penn State, with Michigan among others – for not showing Parsons the respect they felt he deserved.

Eventually, Penn State head coach James Franklin kissed the Parsons family ring enough to get Micah to commit. Micah Parsons’ senior HS year and recruiting process was like a small-scale reality show – but they all are with players of his caliber.

4) Parsons was named in the press/in a legal case of a Penn State player claiming excessive hazing and sexual assault by teammates – and Parsons’ name was floating around as one of the chief hazers…and he physically had a fight with the player bringing the suit.

There was a lot of ‘smoke’ (but no eventual fire) surrounding Parsons the past few years…and people getting in trouble and players ‘transferring out’ amidst the mini-scandal, but Parsons (as five-star guys tend to do) came out of it unscathed.

5) Parsons opted-out of 2020 season and took fan heat because of it (because rabid message board ‘fans’ of teams are sycophant babies). Parsons got into some small-scale dust ups on social media responding snarkily to some of it. Nothing horrific…just you wonder why a guy so groomed to head to the pros would waste time on social media?

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2021 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT

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That’s the thing with Parsons – there haven’t been any major incidents, but always a lot of little brush fires that make you wonder why there are so many small fires around the guy.

I think Parsons is a bit immature/spoiled, but many five-star pampered guys solely focused on going pro since high school are…and why wouldn’t they be? He hasn’t done anything terrible. He graduated with a degree in Criminology in three years, so he’s no unfocused dummy. I think Parsons is spoiled more than actually bad, he just lives in a different reality because of his gift. I think he’ll be fine in the pros. He might not be the best locker room leader, but I don’t think he’ll hurt the locker room.

When I watched Parsons’ game tape, I thought he was going through the motions a bit – but, again, you might too if you were going to make millions once you clocked your time in college. Devin White did much of the same – flashed obvious talent several times, but played a lot of mediocre, uninspired games in college. You can tell guys mailing it in, ones with massive physical ability but they don’t come close to leading their conference in solo tackles and they make more assisted tackles than solo tackles (Parsons was #6 in the Big Ten in solo tackles and had 52 solo tackles/57 assisted tackles in 2019).

Guys like Parsons crank that up in the pros, where the money is…and can you blame them?

Parsons plays more like/with the heart of an outside linebacker than middle linebacker. He’s so fast, and can rush the passer, etc., but he’s going to be put in the middle in the pros. He’s too good not to be. Like Devin White.

Parsons has all the gifts. The only minor question is – does he have the head/passion for ‘it’? I’m going to assume he will, at least until he gets that 2nd-contract.

Micah Parsons, Through the Lens of Our ILB Scouting Algorithm:

First 19 games of his college career: 5.9 total tackles, 3.3 solo tackles per game

Last 7 games of his college career: 11.1 total tackles, 5.1 solo tackles per game

Two bowl games: 13.5 total tackles, 7.5 solo tackles per game

Signs of ‘plays better when more eyes are watching?’, perhaps?

52 solo/57 assisted tackles in 2019 season is a weak ratio for a top college interior linebacker, but 14.0 TFLs and 5.0 sacks is pretty salty.

His movement skills are an ‘A’. His play in bigger TV games is an ‘A’. His actions as an everyday middle linebacker is a ‘C’. He seems more natural as an OLB but has more impact as an ILB. The fact that he can

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2021 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT

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do both is just a testimony to his skills…and if he does flop as an ILB/QB of the defense type, he can move to OLB or even a hybrid OLB/EDGE weapon/pass rusher.

2020 Pro Day/Combine Projections:

6’2”+/245-250 pounds, 10” hands, 33”+ arms

4.4s 40-time, sub-7.0 three-cone, 20-25+ bench press

The Historical ILB Prospects to Whom Micah Parsons Most Compares Within Our System:

Micah Parsons…the physical talent of Kenneth Murray without the drive/effort/leadership on display in college, and without the natural interior linebacking instincts.

That ‘comp’ statement may seem like a slam, but really Kenneth Murray is/was an excellent LB prospect. Not many could compare for us. Parsons is flashier and has more media consensus/acceptance (and ‘Penn State’/Linebacker U. optics don’t hurt either) but I feel Murray was/is the better ILB prospect. Parsons the better OLB prospect. Both great.

Tremaine Edmunds graded way better/is gifted as an NFL OLB prospect for us vs. pure interior guy. Parsons leans better OLB but is legit for ILB work as well.

ILB Last First Yr College H H W Tackle, Speed, Score Strngth Agility Metric Metric 8.823 Parsons Micah 2021 Penn State 6 2.7 247 8.48 12.65 9.522 Murray Kenneth 2020 Oklahoma 6 2.4 241 8.72 11.58 6.249 Edmunds Tremaine 2018 Virginia Tech 6 4.4 253 7.70 10.72 7.678 Black Quincy 2007 New Mexico 6 1.5 240 9.15 12.24 5.897 Anthony Stephone 2015 Clemson 6 2.5 243 7.10 9.75 4.843 Martin Kamal 2020 Minnesota 6 2.7 240 7.03 7.83

*A score of 8.00+ is where we see a stronger correlation of LBs going on to become NFL good/great/elite. A score of 10.00+ is more rarefied air in our system, and indicates a greater probability of becoming an NFL elite LB.

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All of the LB ratings are based on a 0–10 scale, but a player can score negative, or above a 10.0 in certain instances. Tackle-Strength Metrics = A combination of several physical and performance measurements. An attempt to classify the LB prospect's ability to stop the run, as well as to gauge how physical the player is, and the likelihood of higher tackle counts in the NFL. All based on profiles of LBs historically. Speed-Agility Metrics = A combination of several speed, agility, and size measurements...as well as game performance data to profile a LB for speed/agility based on LBs historically. A unique measuring system to look for LBs that profile for quickness, pass-coverage ability, and general ability to cover more ground.

2021 NFL Draft Outlook:

Parsons has enough hype and pre-acceptance to be a top 10 pick. His Pro Day times/measurables may seal that deal. Only bad in-person interviews could derail him as a top 15 pick. In the end, I’d project him to go between #8-18 overall.

If I were an NFL GM, Parsons might be in my top 10 overall in this draft. I see the natural gifts, and I’m sure he’ll be a fine disruptor, but I wouldn’t overpay for him unless I felt for sure he could be the Pro Bowl QB of my defense. I felt like Kenneth Murray was that guy, and I would have leaned him over Parsons…but, again, Parsons brings a lot of gifts to the table…worthy of top 10-15-20 overall status for sure.

NFL Outlook:

Likely drafted top 10-15, starts right away and impresses because he’s a bright lights turns his engine on type of player, somewhat like Devin White’s transformation in the NFL. It’s rare that a linebacker Parson’s size has such athletic gifts, so he’s definitely worth the pick/a reach and he should be a fine producer in the NFL, especially leading up to his 2nd-contract.

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Signature______Date______2/22/2021

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