Better Fit: LB Micah Parsons or LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah?
If the Lions are going linebacker at No. 7 overall in this year's NFL Draft, should they go with Penn State product Micah Parsons or Notre Dame's Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah?
Parsons has been bandied about plenty as a target for new Detroit general manager Brad Holmes at No. 7.
Parsons opted out of playing in 2020 due to concerns over the coronavirus and to prepare for this April's draft.
However, when he last suited up, he was hugely productive.
In 2019, he racked up 109 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, five sacks, four forced fumbles and five passes defensed.
And, he finished off the season in grand style at the Cotton Bowl. In the 53-39 victory for the Nittany Lions over Memphis, he amassed 14 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles.
His production was superb all throughout the '19 campaign, and it earned him the Butkus-Fitzgerald award -- named in honor of Big Ten legends Dick Butkus and Pat Fitzgerald -- for the Big Ten linebacker of the year.
The numbers don't lie, either, with Parsons.
He is solid at both stopping the run and rushing the passer. He's a complete, every-down linebacker that would be a "slam-dunk" pick for the Lions at No. 7.
Then, there's Owusu-Koramoah, who's gained steam of late on draft boards.
Matt Cashore, USA TODAY Sports
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound prospect fits the mold of a hybrid safety/linebacker, just like Isaiah Simmons did last year coming out of Clemson. Simmons, remember, was eventually drafted by the Arizona Cardinals at No. 8 overall.
Owusu-Koramoah brings to the table a high level of explosiveness, sideline-to-sideline speed and a knack for getting to the football and making plays, both against the run and in pass coverage.
Those attributes helped him total 62 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 1.5 sacks during his ACC Defensive Player of the Year award-winning 2020 campaign.
For his efforts, he also earned the Dick Butkus Award for the top linebacker in college football.
It was a banner year for the Notre Dame product and a season in which he certainly proved he's capable of being a high-end player at the next level.
However, if I were picking between Parsons and Owusu-Koramoah, I would go with the bigger (stands in at 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds) and more complete Parsons.
Parsons seemingly has no flaws, whereas Owusu-Koramoah is considered to be undersized for playing linebacker in the NFL on a full-time basis.
This, along with Parsons' overall standout profile as a draft prospect, makes it an easy decision for me. I'd be taking Parsons over Owusu-Koramoah with pick No. 7.
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