If Super Bowl LV taught us anything, it’s that you need speed on all three levels of your defense in today’s NFL. And one of the most noticeable spots where Tampa Bay’s speed was evident was in their linebacker corps.
The Raiders need to improve their pass rush this offseason, but it would certainly help if they got better play from their linebackers, as well. That is why Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Komoroah has been such a common pick for the Raiders in Round 1 in mock drafts.
But there’s another linebacker in the first round that hasn’t been mentioned very often in connection with the Raiders; Penn State’s Micah Parsons. In a recent mock draft by Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network, Parsons was the pick for the Raiders at No. 17. Here are his thoughts on the potential pairing:
“The Raiders spent significant money at linebacker in 2020 and got very little return on their investment. Cory Littleton, Nick Kwiatkoski, Raekwon McMillan… all average at best—but more often than not disappointing additions. The Raiders love prospects from premier programs early on and they love prototypical size. Micah Parsons offers both and offers a boost to where the Raiders are currently weakest on defense. This one makes too much sense if Parsons lingers into the late teens.”
Parsons is likely a weakside linebacker in the NFL and would pair nicely with Nick Kwiatkoski. It’s likely that defensive coordinator Gus Bradley could figure out a way to get Cory Littleton on the field as well and that would give the Raiders one of the most athletic linebacker groups in the entire NFL.
Parsons does have some flaws in his game as he wasn’t asked to cover a ton in college, but he is a special athlete who can fly from sideline to sideline with ease. Don’t be surprised if he is one of Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock’s favorite players in this entire draft as he is everything they want in a modern-day linebacker.
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