2021 NFL Draft Big Board: Trevor Lawrence, Penei Sewell, Ja’Marr Chase headline class

Micah Parsons is going to be the Isaiah Simmons of the 2021 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-3, 245-pounder is bigger and stronger than the former Clemson star who was the No. 8 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft of the Arizona Cardinals.

Parsons is a sideline-to-sideline tackler for Linebacker U and can rush the passer and live in the backfield. He can cover the deep half of the field and run with tight ends and some receivers on shallow crossers. He may not be the same type of coverage linebacker than Simmons projects to be, but he’s a similar type of chess piece for defensive coordinators and shouldn’t be limited to one position.

For now, I’ll refer to Parsons as a linebacker, but he could be a middle linebacker in an odd or even front, an outside linebacker in an even front or an all-around defensive weapon for the creative coach who is smart enough to move him all over the field to neutralize threats from running back, tight end, receiver or mobile quarterbacks.

He’s one of the biggest physical freaks in the nation and will blow up the combine next fall.

Parsons is coming off a Cotton Bowl performance vs. Memphis where he had 14 total tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and two passes defensed.