2021 NFL Draft: Optimal picks for the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 17
By Sean Basile
2021 NFL Draft: Optimal picks for the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 17
OLB Micah Parsons, Penn State
I love Micah Parsons. I love guys who play with chips on their shoulders and know they’re the best player out there, or at least strongly believe they are. It’s something about Penn State guys these days that I’m really a fan of.
Chris Godwin. Yetur Gross-Matos. Saquon Barkley. Miles Sanders. There’s a certain swag coming from the usually buttoned-up PSU club in today’s age that I think is really good for the game.
There’s “swag” (short for “swagger“) that’s detrimental to the player itself and their club and you never really hear about Penn State guys in a negative light even with their big personalities. Big personalities get NFL guys in trouble a lot, but the guys I just mentioned all seem to have really compelling stories, and are simply great guys to root for.
Parsons fills that need as a pass rusher like we talked about with Kwity Paye and how adding another rusher will simply make the rich richer while also bringing a facet to his game that the Raiders also need which is an interior linebacker.
Parsons can rush the passer and play full-on inside linebacker and that versatility is what the Raiders, a team starving for defensive stars, might need.