Micah Parsons – Penn State
The next man up in the discussion of 2021 dynamic edge rushers is Penn State linebacker, Parsons. Parsons burst on the scene as a freshman in 2018, and he followed that up with an even more impressive season last year. He is an excellent run defender who sets the edge well and already possesses some elite pass-rushing traits. He’s an extremely versatile player that came to Happy Valley as a defensive end. NFL teams will covet Parsons for his ability to contribute standing up or with his hand in the ground at the next level.
2014 Class Comparison – Khalil Mack
When discussing versatile edge rushers, Mack is one of the first players that comes to mind. He has been a dominant and unstoppable force since entering the league in 2014 with the Oakland Raiders. Now one of the new Monsters of the Midway, Mack is a player that has experienced tremendous success as a down lineman and at the linebacker position. He has jarring hands with immense strength and speed, with the ability to bend and get to the quarterback in a hurry.
Mack is the type of player that Parsons should strive to emulate as an NFL prospect. Parsons has displayed tremendous closing speed when rushing the passer and should see more chances to do so this season. The Nittany Lions lost top edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos to the 2020 NFL Draft and will need help getting to the quarterback in 2020. Parsons will undoubtedly rise to the occasion and could become one of the fiercest pass rushers and overall defenders in the nation this year.
2020 Class Comparison – K’Lavon Chaisson
In terms of being able to dip and get to the passer, Chaisson was a natural for the Tigers. The Jaguars’ 2020 Draft pick was one of the quicker and more explosive rushers available this past April and showed traits that Parsons emulates at times on defense. Like Parsons, Chaisson was a standup outside linebacker for LSU’s defense but spent a lot of time in the opposing backfield. He has cat-like quickness and is nearly unblockable when he gets a jump on the opposing offensive tackles.
Both players are nearly identical in terms of size and have similar athletic profiles. If the soon-to-be junior linebacker shows the same type of athleticism in the pre-draft process as Chaisson, the sky is the limit for his draft stock. One big difference between the two players is Parsons’ ability to rush from both the middle and the edge. He is equally as adept from both spots and does a great job fighting through traffic to get to the ball-carrier. PFN’s own Brad Kelly demonstrates that great ability to get into the backfield below.
Micah Parsons does a great job of dipping his shoulder and fending off blocks with his forearm – maintaining his gap and finishing/wrapping ball carriers pic.twitter.com/EGmgI6XMBu
— Brad Kelly (@BradKelly17) March 24, 2020
Parsons will need to continue to hone his pass-rushing moves while continuing to be a force against the run. With those improvements and growth, Parsons will be a top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Hamilcar Rashed Jr. – Oregon State
One potential dark horse in the top 2021 edge rushers conversation is Oregon State’s Rashed Jr. I discussed the talented Beaver defender in March as a first-round candidate, and he certainly belongs amongst the best. In terms of sack production, Rashed ranks right up there with Rousseau and will only continue to get better as he returns to Oregon State for his senior season in 2020.
2014 Class Comparison – DeMarcus Lawrence
Like Lawrence, Rashed projects as a late first, early second-rounder at this point in the draft process. Rashed is an absolute staple in the opposing backfield, as he racked up 22.5 tackles for a loss last season. Lawrence had eerily similar numbers during his final season at Boise State in 2013, as he tallied 20.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Both players display elite first-step quickness and incredible twitch for the defensive end position. Unlike Parsons, Rashed is a college defensive end that projects to the same position in the pros. He has enough speed and agility to get looks at the linebacker position from three-four teams, but I believe his best position remains as a down lineman in a four-person front.
Lawrence lost half of his rookie season due to a foot injury suffered in training camp, but it did not take long for him to make an impact for the Cowboys. He recorded a sack and fumble recovery to seal the game against the Lions in the 2015 NFC Wild Card game. Then in only his second season, Lawrence accumulated eight sacks and 14 tackles for a loss. It was evident that the time spent learning the position as a rookie benefited Lawrence a great deal. Rashed could encounter that same scenario in the NFL, as he continues to add bulk and perfect his pass-rushing arsenal. I believe he will start his career as a situational rusher before becoming one of the better young talents in the league.
2020 Class Comparison – A.J. Epenesa
Long considered one of the better edge players in the 2020 Draft class, Epenesa surprisingly fell to the second round and the Buffalo Bills with the 54th pick. While these players may not match each other physically, I use this comparison to show Rashed’s versatile skill-set and underrated ability as a run-stopper. Epenesa is not the greatest athlete, but he is dominant at the point of attack and displays great pursuit and motor when getting to the quarterback. The former Hawkeye racked up 20.5 sacks the past two seasons for Iowa, while also using his strong hands and various rushing tools to set the edge consistently.
Epenesa should be an immediate contributor in Buffalo as a rookie in their underrated defensive line rotation. Rashed will face some talented backs in the Pac-12 this season, such as Oregon’s C.J. Verdell and Washington State’s Max Borghi, so he will get a chance to prove his worth as a run defender early and often. His superior talent in getting to the quarterback in addition to his underrated run-stopping prowess should assure Rashed remains in the first-round conversation, unlike his Iowa counterpart.
Scott Gorman is a writer for PFN covering the 2021 NFL Draft. You can follow him @sgormanPFN on Twitter.