Penn State's Parsons, Oweh, Freiermuth Earn High NFL Draft Rankings
The experts at NFL Draft Bible have compiled their list of the top players by position for the upcoming NFL Draft. Of course, national champ Alabama dominates with nine players (a stunning six on offense), and Ohio State has four.
Penn State, meanwhile, placed three in the rankings, including one in a top spot. Micah Parsons, though he opted out of the 2020 season, is the No. 1 linebacker, according to NFL Draft Bible founder Ric Serritella.
Serritella ranks defensive end Jayson Oweh as the No. 4 prospect at defensive end and Pat Freiermuth as the No. 4 tight end. Penn State has not had multiple first-round picks since 2003, when four Lions went in the first round, so this could be a productive draft for the program.
In its latest mock, NFL Draft Bible projects Parsons at No. 7 to Detroit. Oweh, once mentioned as a late first-rounder, is not listed.
Parsons clearly looms as a major draft force. Multiple sites project him as the first defensive player selected, even though his final game was the 2019 Cotton Bowl.
NFL Draft Bible even has Parsons being drafted before DeVonta Smith, Alabama's Heisman Trophy-winning receiver
"Micah Parsons is an incredible player on the second level of the defense that can do it all as a linebacker," the site's evaluation says. "He would step in and instantly become a leader on that defense along with 2020 first-round pick, Jeff Okudah."
Oweh's status will be difficult to project until he turns in some workout numbers. He'll certainly test well, when given the chance, but that likely will be confined to a Pro Day on Penn State's campus.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. said recently on the First Draft Podcast that he wonders whether Oweh made the right decision to enter the draft.
As for Freiermuth, his college production is unquestioned. And he's a multi-tooled tight end with the frame and skillset to follow the success of former Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki. His draft positioning will hinge on how he recovers from a shoulder injury that ended his 2020 season.
The 2020 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 29-May in Cleveland.
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