Micah Parsons Ranked as the Best Linebacker in the NFL Draft
Former Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons likely will be among the first defensive players selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. Expectations for what comes next are even higher, as NFL Draft Bible projects Parsons as a future All-Pro.
The comprehensive draft site ranks Parsons as not only the No. 1 linebacker in the 2021 draft but also as the linebacker with the highest ceiling. On its positional "big board" among linebackers in 4-3 defenses, Parsons carries a player value of 8.3 and a potential value of 9.5.
No other player in any of the linebacker "big boards" ranks as highly in either value. For context, here's what those values mean:
- 10-9.6: Franchise talent
- 9.5-9.0: All-Pro
- 8.9-8.4: Solid starter
- 8.3-7.9: Average starter
- 7.8-7.4: Solid backup
- 7.3-7.0: Backup
- 6.9-6.5: Bottom of roster
- 6.4-6.0: Developmental
- 5.9-5.5: Practice squad
- 5.4-5.0: XFL/CFL
- 4.9-0.0: Reject
In its most recent mock draft, NFL Draft Bible has Parsons slipping a bit to the Miami Dolphins at No. 18, saying the linebacker's stock "could be in for a drop." That certainly remains to be seen, as the site doesn't have any other linebackers ranked with a Current Player Value above 7.7.
NFL analyst Ross Tucker certainly is high on Parsons' future, saying the linebacker could become one of the best in the league pretty quickly. In a 2020 interview, Tucker broke down how Parsons will get there.
"The reason why he's such a good prospect is, he's good in coverage, he's good when he blitzes, he's good as a rusher and he's good against the run," Tucker said. "But he still has a lot of untapped potential. We saw what he did last year, but he's only been playing off-the-ball linebacker for two years. He's only really had that visual for a couple of years, so the upside for him is sky-high. Because once he really has seen everything a thousand times, he could be one of the best linebackers in the NFL pretty early in his career."
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