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Dallas Cowboys draft Micah Parsons: Scouting report for Penn State LB

By Matt Lombardo

CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 29: Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons appears on the Red Carpet at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame before the first round of the 2021 NFL football draft on April 29, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by David Dermer-Pool/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 29: Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons appears on the Red Carpet at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame before the first round of the 2021 NFL football draft on April 29, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by David Dermer-Pool/Getty Images) /
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The Dallas Cowboys, after trading back with the Philadelphia Eagles, selected Penn State Football linebacker Micah Parsons with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday night.

Some NFL evaluators have compared Parsons to Tampa Bay Buccaneers All-Pro Devin White, thanks to his ability to be a disruptive downhill playmaker in the backfield and the fact that he’s also strong in coverage from sideline to sideline.

“He can be a game-changer,” a long-time NFL personnel executive told me recently, on the condition of anonymity so he could speak freely on Parsons as he still consults for several teams. “Devin White, who I loved coming out of LSU, Micah is a much better prospect than him. Devin was very athletic, very fast, you see it on the NFL level.”

Here are scouting reports of Micah Parsons:

"NFL.com:Performance-grade inside/outside linebacker prospect possessing an NFL-ready frame and explosive speed that could make him a highly productive talent at the next level. He’s most impactful when he’s kept clean and allowed to run and chase the action, but carries no physical limitations into the pros. His instincts and play recognition need to catch up with his physical gifts in order to play downhill and find the most efficient routes to the football. His rush talent is a potential wild card in how teams decide to use him, but he’s likely to show rapid improvement and should be a Day 1 starter.Pro Football Focus:PROSCombination of size and explosiveness is special.Moves like he’s undersized.Form and balance in space as a tackler are superb — 11 misses on 188 career tackle attempts.Edge-rusher type moves as a pass-rusher. Blows up running backs on blitzes.Still an edge rusher in his mind. Plays with an attacking mentality.CONSPlaymaking in coverage has been average. Only four career pass breakups.Haven’t seen him since 2019, as he opted out of the 2020 season.Lot of zone drops in Penn State’s scheme. Only 64 snaps in man coverage in 2019.Was named as a “ringleader” in Penn State hazing scandal."

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