NFL Draft Profile: LB Micah Parsons
A closer look at the Penn State LB
Washington failed to address one of its biggest needs on defense in the first wave of free agency last week. Currently, the team has just two recognized starters at linebacker in Jon Bostic and Cole Holcomb, and some would argue neither of those two are locked in starters either. With Washington needing at least one starting caliber linebacker, it’s likely the team looks to add one in the draft. The highest rated linebacker in the draft is Micah Parsons out of Penn State.
Parsons didn’t play in 2020 after opting out due to Covid-19, so it’s tough to know exactly how accurate his measurements are, but he’s listed at 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, which is about the ideal size of a modern NFL linebacker. He has enough size to fight through blocks when he needs to, but still maintains a high level of athleticism that allows him to work sideline to sideline.
Run defense
His speed and range from the linebacker spot is easily what stands out most when watching him. He’s able to chase down ball carriers even if they’re running away from him.
Here is a perfect example of that athleticism and pursuit speed. In Penn State’s 2019 bowl game against Memphis, Parsons aligns over the right guard, about five yards off the line of scrimmage. Memphis motions a receiver from right to left, snapping the ball mid-motion. The ball is handed off to the receiver on the jet sweep, running away from Parsons. The first angle gives a great perspective of just how much ground Parsons covers as he works from outside the hashmarks on one side of the field to nearly the numbers on the other side.
But more than just the freaky athleticism, the read is good too. From the end zone replay angle, we can see Parsons look at the receiver coming in motion and instantly move his eyes to the running back. As soon as the ball is snapped the back takes off outside to be a lead blocker on the jet sweep. That’s all Parsons needs to see before taking off and chasing down the receiver for a minimal gain.
The athleticism is great and is what sets him apart from other linebackers, but athleticism means little without correctly reading out plays and knowing where the ball is going. Parsons consistently shows a good understanding of diagnosing plays and filling his gap.
This play comes from the same game against Memphis. On the surface, it might appear like an easy play, and to a degree it is, but it shows some key traits. Memphis runs an inside zone play out of the shotgun. Based on the pre-snap alignment, Parsons would appear to be responsible for the B gap, between the left guard and left tackle. However, with an inside zone scheme, from the shotgun especially, the ball is unlikely to ever reach that B gap. The run is designed to hit the A gap or cut back further towards the right side of the offensive line.
As the ball is snapped, Parsons looks to the running back and reads his posture. The back’s shoulders stay square to the line of scrimmage as he takes a shuffle step towards the quarterback and secures the hand-off. That tells Parsons that the play isn’t designed to work outside as the back’s aiming point is clearly further inside. So while Parsons is still responsible for the B gap, he knows the ball isn’t going there. He positions himself in such a way that he can fill the B gap if the ball somehow ends up going there, but also gives himself the ability to fall back a gap or two. The other linebacker, who is responsible for the A gap, gets reached by the left guard, meaning Parsons is required to work across and make the play, which he does successfully.
Knowing your assignment is important, but Parsons showed an understanding of run schemes and how to adjust his positioning to be able to fill other gaps than just his own. That’s a very encouraging trait from Parsons, but it is equally important that Parsons doesn’t freelance and understands when he needs to stick to the script and fill his gap.
This is a similar play to the one we just saw, but with some key differences. Ohio State works out of the shotgun and runs a zone scheme towards Parsons’ side of the field. However, instead of an inside zone scheme, Ohio State calls an outside zone scheme. The Buckeyes also add some extra things for Parsons to sort out mentally, motioning in a tight end before having him sift back across the line to block the defensive end on the back side.
A sifting tight end is typically a sign that the running back will follow the tight end and cut his run back early, but with Ohio State using outside zone instead of inside zone, the back is working to the edge, leaving the tight end as a decoy for defenders like Parsons. Parsons’ first read is the tight end and as he sifts back across the line, Parsons begins to shift his weight inside to follow him. However, before committing to it, Parsons gets his eyes in the backfield and on the running back. He spots the back’s shoulders pointing towards the sideline rather than staying square to the line of scrimmage. That tells Parsons the back is running an outside zone, so he ignores the tight end and looks to fill the B gap. He gets some penetration before the left guard can reach him and makes contact with the back. The runner attempts to spin out of the tackle and cut his run back inside, but Parsons manages to get a hand on the ball and knock it out, forcing a fumble which Penn State recovers.
Parsons processes information quickly and has a natural feel for run schemes. He’s able to decipher real keys and ignore the misdirection to find the true intent of the ball carrier. While he’s at his best when he’s kept relatively clean, allowing his athleticism to shine through as he pursues runners, he’s got enough thickness on his frame to thump against bigger offensive lineman when he needs to as well. He’s someone that could be a day one starter as a Will (weak side) linebacker and have a significant impact as a run defender, especially in a one-gap system that allows him to play fast.
Coverage
As a coverage defender, Parsons is still somewhat raw. Obviously, the athleticism is a huge upside for him that gives him the potential to develop into an excellent coverage linebacker.
Here, Parsons aligns about five yards off the ball over the left tackle. Ohio State has three receivers lined up to the right with the inside receiver running straight up the seam. Typically a safety would stay on top of that receiver or the linebacker to that side of the field would wall him off from breaking and carry him up the seam. However, Penn State sends that linebacker on a rush while Parsons replaces him in coverage. Parsons has a lot of ground to make up to prevent Ohio State having a free throw up the seam, but he makes up the ground almost effortlessly and takes that option away from the quarterback.
However, Parsons can get into trouble in coverage at times. He doesn’t always feel receivers working into zones around him and when he plays man coverage, he can get a little too physical. Defenders are allowed to jam receivers within five yards of the line of scrimmage in the NFL, but Parsons often grabbed onto receivers far longer than that in college.
On this play, Parsons aligns over a tight end in man coverage. The tight end takes an outside release and runs straight up the seam. Parsons appears to anticipate a different route or just failed to get his body across to cut off the tight end, so instead he sticks his arm out and grabs onto him to prevent him from getting up the seam too quickly. While he might get away with the initial contact in the NFL, it continues for far too long before Parsons let’s go. It’s a clear penalty in the NFL, but beyond that, once he lets go, Parsons completely loses track of the receiver. Fortunately for Parsons, the quarterback didn't see the tight end and threw the ball away, but it was still a bad rep.
From a coverage standpoint, Parsons has the designed athleticism to run with athletic receiving tight ends up the seam and match running backs working out of the backfield. However, his technique needs developing in man coverage and his zone awareness could improve too. The upside is certainly there, but it’s the weakest part of his game as things stand.
Pass rush
Parsons is an accomplished pass rusher, especially for an off-the-ball linebacker. His speed and quickness can cause issues for slower interior lineman while his athleticism allows him to bend and dip against more athletic tackles on the edge. He would quite often end up blitzing in the A gap or even rushing off the edge. In fact, on some third downs, Penn State used him as an edge rusher.
On this play, Parsons aligns as an edge rusher and works against Ohio State’s left tackle. Parsons takes a couple of steps directly up the field to try and get the tackle to commit to the edge. As the tackle extends his outside arm to try and cut off the rush to the edge, Parsons plants his outside foot and cuts back inside. He shows nice bend and dip to get inside and under the tackle before ripping up with his right arm to try and clean the hands of the tackle. The tackle does a solid job moving his feet and getting back inside to try and cut him off, but Parsons persists with his rush and forces the quarterback off the spot, delaying his throw.
Overall Parsons is an excellent linebacker prospect that should be a strong run defender early in his career. His coverage will need some development, but that can be hidden somewhat with his ability as a blitzer. The biggest question for Parsons will be what position he wants to play. I’ve seen some suggestions that he might see himself as more of an edge rusher than an off-the-ball linebacker. I think that would be a mistake and knock him down significantly in the draft. He could, however, be a good starting Will linebacker in a 4-3 scheme with the potential to become one of the best in the league at that position.