Giants: 3 prospects for Dave Gettleman to avoid in 2021 NFL Draft
By Cory Kinnan
2. Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons will be a great litmus test to where NFL front offices stand in regards to some pretty damning off-the-field circumstances. Is Parsons the most talented linebacker in this class with freaky athletic ability? He sure is, but the hazing allegations against him (multiple cases!) is a ton to overlook.
As the Giants are in search of a new linebacker to add to their defense, Parsons is just too big of a risk for where they sit in the draft order. With a day-two pick, the Giants should instead turn their attention to the Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton or Kentucky’s Jamin Davis. In fact, even trading down a bit further in the first round may be a good opportunity to land Davis as well.
However, the positional value of linebacker continues to decrease, so using a first rounder on one, in general, tends to be a bad bet unless they have extraordinary versatility in coverage as well (i.e. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah). Positional value, however, has not stopped Gettleman from using the second overall pick on a running back though, so as he remains in the stone ages of evaluation, anything goes for the Giants as the draft is now just two weeks away.