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The Dallas Cowboys drafted Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons with the No. 12 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. Parsons’ dream of playing for the Cowboys and beginning his professional football career playing home games in the same stadium he wrapped up his college career with the Nittany Lions has proven to be something that has excited both Penn State and Cowboys fans alike.
But the reception to the Cowboys moving down in the draft to select the top-rated linebacker hasn’t been without its share of mild criticism. Pro Football Focus graded the Cowboys’ draft pick of Parsons as “average” in its instant analysis of the pick. The main reason for the average rating stems more from the Cowboys arguably having a bigger need to improve their status at other positions other than linebacker.
“The Cowboys seemed destined to take a cornerback at No. 10 overall, but the Panthers starting a mini-run at the position allowed Dallas to trade back and reassess,” Pro Football Focus noted. “Linebacker isn’t an obvious need, with Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander-Esch already there, but Parsons is the best linebacker prospect we have seen in years and could provide some versatility to the Cowboys’ defense.”
It is also fitting that the Cowboys draft perhaps the best Penn State linebacker to come out of Penn State since LaVar Arrington, who went No. 2 overall in the 2000 NFL draft, to fill a spot on the roster previously held by 11-year veteran Sean Lee. Lee, a former Nittany Lion linebacker as well, announced his retirement at the beginning of the week. Replacing one Penn State legendary linebacker with another isn’t necessarily a bad strategy to roll out.
The Cowboys did eventually address the cornerback position with Kentucky’s Kelvin Joseph. But perhaps it was too little too late according to Pro Football Focus. That draft pick was also graded as “average.”
Stay up to date on all of the NFL draft action regarding Penn State football players with our updated draft tracker. We will also be keeping tabs on undrafted free agency after the draft wraps up.
2021 NFL draft tracker: Tracking every Penn State player in the draft
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