Micah Parsons – Page 73 – Syndication Server

Cletis Cutts’ 2021 NFL mock draft

Check out the latest mock draft from our staff at The Huddle.

Cletis Cutts’ mock draft of 2021 is now out. Sound off on social media and let us know what you think.

We’ll be unveiling more mock drafts than ever before this year, so be sure to check back with our 2021 NFL Draft Central page to keep track of all of our offerings.

2021 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1

Pick	Team	Pos	Player	School
1	Jacksonville Jaguars	QB	Trevor Lawrence	Clemson
2	New York Jets	QB	Zach Wilson	BYU
3	San Francisco 49ers (via MIA>HOU)	QB	Trey Lance	North Dakota State
4	Atlanta Falcons	TE	Kyle Pitts	Florida
5	Cincinnati Bengals	OT	Penei Sewell	Oregon
6	Miami Dolphins (via PHI)	WR	Ja’Marr Chase	LSU
7	Detroit Lions	WR	DeVonta Smith	Alabama
8	Carolina Panthers	OT	Rashawn Slater	Northwestern
9	Denver Broncos	QB	Justin Fields	Ohio State
10	Dallas Cowboys	CB	Patrick Surtain II	Alabama
11	New York Giants	LB	Micah Parsons	Penn State
12	Philadelphia Eagles (via MIA>SF)	WR	Jaylen Waddle	Alabama
13	Los Angeles Chargers	OT	Christian Darrisaw	Virginia Tech
14	Minnesota Vikings	DE	Gregory Rousseau	Miami (Fla)
15	New England Patriots	QB	Mac Jones	Alabama
16	Arizona Cardinals	CB	Jaycee Horn	South Carolina
17	Las Vegas Raiders	OG	Alijah Vera-Tucker	USC
18	Miami Dolphins	DE	Kwity Paye	Michigan
19	Washington Football Team	LB	J. Owusu-Koramoah	Notre Dame
20	Chicago Bears	CB	Caleb Farley	Virginia Tech
21	Indianapolis Colts	DE	Jaelen Phillips	Miami (Fla)
22	Tennessee Titans	CB	Greg Newsome II	Northwestern
23	New York Jets (via SEA)	RB	Travis Etienne	Clemson
24	Pittsburgh Steelers	RB	Najee Harris	Alabama
25	Jacksonville Jaguars (via LAR)	S	Trevon Moehrig	TCU
26	Cleveland Browns	LB	Jamin Davis	Kentucky
27	Baltimore Ravens	WR	Rashod Bateman	Minnesota
28	New Orleans Saints	DT	Christian Barmore	Alabama
29	Green Bay Packers	WR	Kadarius Toney	Florida
30	Buffalo Bills	LB	Azeez Ojulari	Georgia
31	Kansas City Chiefs	OT	Teven Jenkins	Oklahoma State
32	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	WR	Elijah Moore	Mississippi

Breer: Lions ‘connected’ to Penn State LB Micah Parsons

Breer also connects dots to the top offensive linemen and Detroit

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx8sj47vkwrznr player_id=none image=https://lionswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

It’s 10 quick days until the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, and the speculation for what will happen. After the first two picks, no one is certain what will transpire.

That’s certainly true with the Detroit Lions and the No. 7 overall pick. With a new front office and coaching staff in place and myriad critical needs on the roster, the Lions are quite unpredictable. One prominent NFL reporter offered a morsel as to what might happen with Detroit’s pick.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated noted in this week’s MMQB article that he’s heard the Lions are connected with Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons.

After noting the potential to trade back from the No. 7 pick, Breer states,

“I’d just keep an eye on the background of the two guys in charge, GM Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell, and their history of valuing offensive linemen (Penei Sewell? Rashawn Slater?). And I also wouldn’t ignore the presence of Chris Spielman, who joined the organization in December, which would explain why I’ve heard them connected to Penn State LB Micah Parsons.”

It’s a vague, unsourced connection that highlights the peril of believing anything you see or hear at this time of draft season. But those are consistent tradewinds blowing for the Lions, both the offensive line links and the talk of Parsons, especially if Detroit can trade out of the top 10 overall.

[listicle id=60863]

Breer: Lions ‘connected’ to Penn State LB Micah Parsons

Breer also connects dots to the top offensive linemen and Detroit

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx8sj47vkwrznr player_id=none image=https://lionswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

It’s 10 quick days until the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, and the speculation for what will happen. After the first two picks, no one is certain what will transpire.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated noted in this week’s MMQB article that he’s heard the Lions are connected with Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons.

After noting the potential to trade back from the No. 7 pick, Breer states,

[listicle id=60863]

Giants trade down, select Micah Parsons in latest CBS Sports mock draft

In the latest mock draft from CBS Sports, the New York Giants trade back (with New England) and select Penn State LB Micah Parsons.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx61yex5whq8aq player_id=none image=https://giantswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

If the New York Giants are intent on adding one of the top defensive prospects in the 2021 NFL draft, their best course of actions is to trade back and then select one.

You’ve heard those of us at Giants Wire repeat that ad nauseam for well over a month now, and it finally seems to be catching on. There is a growing consensus that none of the edge rushers are three-down players entering the NFL, while Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, arguably the most versatile defender available, comes with some red flags.

Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports took all of that into consideration when compiling his latest mock draft, and has the Giants trading back before selecting Parsons at No. 15 overall.

Micah Parsons has been tied to the Giants for a while now, and if they trade down and he’s still available, it makes even more sense.

Although Dajani does not offer exact details of the trade, the Giants sent the No. 11 overall pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for No. 15 overall and then some. And with the 11th pick overall, Bill Belichick & Co. select Alabama quarterback Mac Jones.

What makes this trade interesting is the realistic nature of it. Should Jones remain available after the first 10 picks are made, the Patriots are very likely to move up and target him, and there are, of course, connections between New York and New England.

The Giants would then be left with a choice between multiple defenders — many of them edge rushers. In this scenario, Parsons slid and allowed Big Blue to scoop him up. But even had he not fallen, New York would have had other options like Kwity Paye, Zaven Collins, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Azeez Ojulari and Jayson Oweh.

Will Cowboys leave 2021 draft with one of its unicorns?

NFL Analyst Bucky Brooks named 5 unique talents as Unicorn prospects in the upcoming NFL draft. Will Dallas be able to grab one of these 5?

The scouting process that takes place leading up to the NFL draft is extremely intensive and extensive as teams decide what prospects are worth their valued draft picks and millions of dollars. Scouts and analysts have developed a common terminology for describing football players and their strengths or weaknesses, but for the most unique prospects a new term has been coined in recent years.

Unicorn. No, not the mythical horse-like creature, but supposedly similarly a stand out for the traits they possess. NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks details his definition of the complement, saying, “[Unicorn] refers to prospects with rare physical tools that will enable them to dazzle as pros in roles that accentuate their unique talents as hybrid playmakers.” Brooks ranks his top five ‘unicorn’ prospects in the upcoming 2021 NFL draft class.

The Dallas Cowboys have the No. 10 overall selection, so what are the chances the club acquires any of these unprecedented players?

6 draft prospects for the Lions who opted out of playing in 2020

Here are six draft candidates for the Lions who opted out of playing in 2020

With a new front office regime in Detroit, it’s hard to know how GM Brad Holmes and the new-look Lions feel about 2021 NFL draft prospects who opted out of playing entirely in the 2020 college season. Several of those opt-outs, which were permitted due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, present draft dilemmas for Detroit and other NFL teams.

How much weight should be factored in for prospects who haven’t even practiced football in at least 15 months? Is the body of work on film from 2019 enough to prove worthy of the appropriate draft slot? Did the players do enough in interviews and workouts to ease any concerns over the opt-out?

Those are questions Holmes and the Lions must answer on several prominent prospects. Here are six draft candidates for the Lions who opted out of playing in 2020.

David Dorey’s 2021 NFL mock draft 3.0

Dorey forecasts a quarterback-heavy opening to the draft.

David Dorey’s third mock draft of 2021 is now out. Sound off on social media and let us know what you think.

We’ll be unveiling more mock drafts than ever before this year, so be sure to check back with our 2021 NFL Draft Central page to keep track of all of our offerings.

2021 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1

Pick	Team	Pos	Player	School
1	Jacksonville Jaguars	QB	Trevor Lawrence	Clemson
2	New York Jets	QB	Zach Wilson	BYU
3	San Francisco 49ers (via MIA>HOU)	QB	Trey Lance	North Dakota State
4	Atlanta Falcons	QB	Justin Fields	Ohio State
5	Cincinnati Bengals	OT	Penei Sewell	Oregon
6	Miami Dolphins (via PHI)	TE	Kyle Pitts	Florida
7	Detroit Lions	WR	Ja’Marr Chase	LSU
8	Carolina Panthers	QB	Mac Jones	Alabama
9	Denver Broncos	LB	Micah Parsons	Penn State
10	Dallas Cowboys	CB	Patrick Surtain II	Alabama
11	New York Giants	OT	Christian Darrisaw	Virginia Tech
12	Philadelphia Eagles (via MIA>SF)	WR	Jaylen Waddle	Alabama
13	Los Angeles Chargers	WR	DeVonta Smith	Alabama
14	Minnesota Vikings	OT	Rashawn Slater	Northwestern
15	New England Patriots	CB	Caleb Farley	Virginia Tech
16	Arizona Cardinals	CB	Jaycee Horn	South Carolina
17	Las Vegas Raiders	OG	Alijah Vera-Tucker	USC
18	Miami Dolphins	EDGE	Gregory Rosseau	Miami (Fla.)
19	Washington Football Team	LB	Zaven Collins	Tulsa
20	Chicago Bears	OT	Jalen Mayfield	Michigan
21	Indianapolis Colts	EDGE	Kwity Paye	Michigan
22	Tennessee Titans	CB	Greg Newsome II	Northwestern
23	New York Jets (via SEA)	RB	Najee Harris	Alabama
24	Pittsburgh Steelers	OL	Teven Jenkins	Oklahoma State
25	Jacksonville Jaguars (via LAR)	DT	Christian Barmore	Alabama
26	Cleveland Browns	LB	Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah	Notre Dame
27	Baltimore Ravens	EDGE	Jaelen Phillips	Miami (Fla.)
28	New Orleans Saints	S	Trevon Moehrig	TCU
29	Green Bay Packers	WR	Kadarius Toney	Florida
30	Buffalo Bills	EDGE	Azeez Ojulari	Georgia
31	Kansas City Chiefs	OG/C	Landon Dickerson	Alabama
32	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	LB	Nick Bolton	Missouri

Giants appear to have mixed feelings on Micah Parsons

The New York Giants appear to have mixed feelings on Penn State LB Micah Parsons and are torn between his character and his talent.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx61yex5whq8aq player_id=none image=https://giantswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons is an intriguing talent and one that could help the New York Giants defense if plugged in alongside Blake Martinez. However, there are some character concerns with Parsons that apparently worry the Giants.

Although Parsons addressed and dismissed some of those concerns, the Giants do not appear to be sold. In fact, one NFL talent evaluator told Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post that Big Blue prefers Parsons get selected ahead of their pick at No. 11 overall so the decision is made for them.

[vertical-gallery id=665243]

“The Giants are hoping another team takes him,” a talent evaluator with another NFL team told The Post, “so they don’t have to decide.”

Others around the league liken Parsons to former Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was viewed as a talented competitor with a very immature and distracting side.

“There’s some [concern] because he comes off like Odell Beckham with high-maintenance stuff — like a quarterback playing linebacker,” one NFL scout said. “But I’m not worried about Parsons like I was worried about [DeAndre] Baker.

“He’s going to be a rock star, like an LT. He’s going to play early, he’s going to have success, he’s going to be sitting court-side. Nothing is going to stand in the way of football for Micah. The red flags aren’t enough to deter you from drafting him.”

The Giants aren’t so sure.

Kim Jones of NFL Network, who is also a Penn State alum, says Parsons is one of a handful of players the Giants are strongly considering with their first-round pick.

As mentioned on @NFLTotalAccess, I confirmed today that these 6 are AMONG the players the #NYG are considering w/the 11th overall pick:
Azeez Ojulari, GA, edge
Micah Parstons, PSU, LB
Kwity Paye, Mich, edge
Rashawn Slater, NU, T
Patrick Surtain, Ala, CB
Jaylen Waddle, Ala, WR

— Kim Jones (@KimJonesSports) April 14, 2021

ESPN’s Jordan Raanan had a different take on his “Breaking Big Blue” podcast earlier this week however, saying it would be a surprise if the Giants went with Parsons at No. 11.

“There’s a lot of smoke around Micah Parsons. I’d be surprised if the Giants went in that direction right now,” said Raanan.

The conflicting information on Parsons is interesting, but indicates a mixed bag of opinions inside the East Rutherford facilities. The Giants have been burned in the recent past by selecting players with some character issues and things obviously didn’t work out with OBJ, so the reluctance is understandable. But with so many jobs on the line, it’s also easy to understand how some would fall in love with Parsons’ talent.

“If I’m the Giants and I’ve had a recent track record of some misses with key assets,” one league source told the Post, “I’m probably going to be a little more risk-averse with that first pick and lean a little more towards the higher floor than getting too carried with the higher ceiling.”

Jayson Oweh has moved into the first round of Mel Kiper’s mock draft

Following an impressive showing in his pro day, Jayson Oweh may have moved into the first round of the NFL draft.

The godfather of the mock draft, Mel Kiper of ESPN, has updated his two-round mock draft for the 2021 NFL Draft. The latest projection from Kiper is a chance to reset a few approaches following recent trades and the completion of various pro days, including Penn State’s.

What does this all mean for a few notable Nittany Lions players? For Micah Parsons, there has been no change since the last time we took a look at Kiper’s mock draft. But this time, Kiper sees another Nittany Lion cracking into the first round.

Following a fantastic display in his pro day, Jayson Oweh is now projected to be a first-round draft pick according to Mel Kiper. Kiper projects Oweh going to the Kansas City Chiefs with the 31st overall pick. In the case of Oweh, his pro day results were a game-changer.

“Oweh is an interesting case because his coaches raved about his athletic traits, and he just ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at 257 pounds,” Kiper noted. “That’s unbelievable.”

Kiper notes the Denver Broncos look like they are preparing to move forward with their current quarterback, Drew Lock, and that suggests the Broncos may not be in the market for one of the quarterbacks that will be available. The first round will be highlighted by quarterbacks, but the Broncos appear to be sitting out on that fun this year. That’s good news for Parsons, as the Broncos continue to be one of the most likely landing spots for the Penn State linebacker.

Two Nittany Lions heading to the AFC West in the first round? It could be happening.

Unfortunately, Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth didn’t make the cut in Kiper’s two-round mock draft, so he may be waiting for the third round at best according to Kiper.

[vertical-gallery id=1476]

[vertical-gallery id=1228]

[listicle id=1777]

[listicle id=1575]

[lawrence-related id=1678,1626,1558,1545,1393,1327]

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Turn on notifications to get updates delivered in your browser!

The top 11 linebackers in the 2021 draft class

Linebackers still matter in the NFL, and here are the 11 best in the 2021 draft class.

As we roll on here at Touchdown Wire with our draft rankings, we have arrived at the off-ball linebacker portion of the proceedings. Once a highly-regarded position, these types of players are seeing their stock take a bit of a hit over recent years, as coverage players or pass rusher tend to be valued more in the modern NFL where passing is king.

That has, perhaps, led to a bit of an evolution at the position, Some of the top players this cycle are known more for what they might do in space or in the slot than what they offer between the tackles. If the “two-down thumper” is going the way of the Dodo, in its place are linebackers who can match tight ends, running backs and even slot receivers depending on scheme and alignment. Some may get scared off by the position designation but some of these players are more LINO’s than anything else:

Linebackers in name only.

Here are the top 11 linebackers in the 2021 draft class.

Note: The percentiles in parentheses listed next to pro day data are compared to all historical athletic testing (combine and pro day) at the respective position of the player. Kudos to Pro Football Focus, and their Pro Day Schedule and Results Tracker, for this. As there was no scouting combine in 2021, and pro day schedules vary, we may not have all testing information for all prospects at publication time. For offensive tackles whose positional specificity is in question, we will include percentiles for both positions per PFF’s data.