Panthers Draft: 4 early first-round candidates in 2021
By Dean Jones
Panthers Draft: Micah Parsons – LB (Penn State)
Penn State standout Micah Parsons is a five-star recruit that comes with a significant amount of athletic upside. He enjoyed a fine 2019 season with the Nittany Lions and is a projected first-round pick if the prospect reaches his ceiling during the next campaign.
Parsons came of age at Penn State in 2019 on his way to 109 tackles, 52 of which were solo efforts. He also secured five sacks, four forced fumbles, and five pass deflections to further highlight his growing influence on the program.
The player seems to be around the ball a tremendous amount. This is down in no small part to his explosiveness and ability to read the game well.
Parsons is a superb tackler who finishes off plays to a high standard. The Carolina Panthers draft did not see them take a linebacker and a long-term replacement from recently retired legend Luke Kuechly will need to be sought sooner rather than later.
Carolina did sign Tahir Whitehead to a one-year, $2.5 million deal in free agency. But it remains to be seen whether he can play well enough to make the inside linebacker position his own in the Panthers’ new 4-3 defensive base.
Adding someone with the immense upside Parsons possesses would only be a good thing for the Panthers. They could also get an inside track to the player from 2020 second-round pick Yetur Gross-Matos.