Why Lions should avoid drafting Parsons

The Detroit Lions will be on the clock for the first round of the NFL Draft in about a week.

There will be plenty of talent left on the board when they are selecting. Who they will actually take is a true wildcard, though.

Early in the draft process, Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons was a popular pick in mock drafts.

However, he has been gradually slipping down draft boards since. At this point, it would almost be a surprise if Lions general manager Brad Holmes selected Parsons at No. 7.

Now, personally, I’m not against the Lions drafting Parsons, due to the things he does well at a position of need. Parsons has an elite size/athleticism profile, is a bullet to the football, rarely misses tackles and is one of the best off-ball linebacker pass-rushers in the entire draft.

He showed his strengths playing as a true sophomore in 2019,

while being relatively new to the linebacker position.

No matter the case, though, there are some concerns regarding Parsons on and off the field.

Let’s look at why the Lions should avoid Parsons in the draft.

First and foremost, Parsons’ character has been heavily questioned. Some teams could potentially take Parsons completely off their board due to these worries.

Not to get too far into details and the “he said, she said,” but the whole hazing scandal he was involved in can’t be completely ignored.

It will be on the Lions to determine how comfortable they are with Parsons in the interview process, and they will also have to rely on other sources familiar with the linebacker.

In terms of on the field, Parsons’ ability to cover is still rather unknown. There were minimal opportunities where he was asked to cover one-on-one.

In his two-year college career, he had a total of four pass breakups. In an NFL game that is pass-happy, a true three-down linebacker is a player you

don’t have to take off the field in passing situations.

You would think that with the athleticism, he could translate that into coverage, which is a lot easier said than done, however. That part of his game is a projection.

Despite some development needed in coverage, he still could be impactful rushing the passer on passing downs.

Lastly, the value of an off-ball linebacker is dwindling. The days where three linebackers were typically on the field are gone.

For the Lions, assuming they take a page out of the Los Angeles Rams playbook, they’ll deploy a consistent rotation of one or two linebackers, depending on the situation. Some of the best-value players you can acquire in the draft are players who never leave the field or are at positions that typically cost a lot after the rookie contract expires.

At the end of the day, there is a lot to like about Parsons. But, for some valid reasons, his hype leading up to the draft is simmering down.