Positional ranking: #2

Big Board ranking: #14

 

Overview

Position: LB

College: Penn State

Class: Junior

Age: 21

 

Measurables

Height: 6’3 1/8”

Weight: 246 lbs.

Arm length: 31 1/2″

Hand size: 11″

 

Athletic testing

40-yard dash: 4.39 sec.

Vertical jump: 34.0″

Broad jump: 126.0″

Bench press: 19 reps

3-cone drill: 6.94 sec.

Short shuttle: 4.40 sec.

 

Strengths

Extremely twitchy and explosive. Tremendous versatility. Modern-day skillset. Elite overall athleticism. Blazing speed at linebacker. Gets downhill in a flash. Exceptional burst and acceleration. Great first-step quickness. Plays with remarkable violence as a finisher. Blows up plays in the backfield. Natural feel for getting off blocks. Keeps his eyes in the backfield to shed and attack. Above-average play recognition as a run defender. Strong and tough as a tackler. Great timing as a blitzer. Uses hands to quickly shed blockers on his way to the quarterback. Has experience and success as an edge rusher. Impressive speed rush. Does a quality job setting the edge when needed. Has the skillset to be an above-average edge full-time.

 

Weaknesses

Better playing forward and attacking than he is reacting. Aggressiveness can cause him to overrun plays and be beaten inside by cutbacks. Sometimes absorbed by better interior blockers. Would like to see him dart under blockers more in space. Didn’t make a ton of plays in coverage despite skillset. Awareness in coverage doesn’t match the high-level awareness against the run.

 

NFL comparison

Devin White

 

Conclusion

Overall, Parsons is a very versatile linebacker that plays with elite speed and noticeable violence to cause havoc in the middle. He has the skillset to play a variety of positions, but Parsons’ best fit would be as an inside linebacker in an attacking 3-4 defense.