LB Micah Parsons: 'I just feel like I'm the most versatile player' in NFL Draft class

It's been more than a year since anybody has seen former Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Micah Parsons face a competitive offense. The 2019 Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year in the Big Ten also named a consensus All-American opted out of the 2020 season held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but he reminded everyone what he can offer on Sundays when he ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at Penn State's pro day. 

Per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Parsons wasn't short on confidence when speaking after his workout on Thursday. "I just feel like I’m the most versatile player in this class," he explained. "I can play middle linebacker, I can play outside and I can pass rush. I don’t think there’s no place I can’t play in the linebacker spot."

Parsons continued: 

"I played D-end growing up and pretty much my whole life, so rushing the passer has never been a problem and obviously what I showed at Penn State going sideline to sideline has never been a problem. A lot of teams have been talking about first and second down having me go sideline to sideline, third down having me go get the quarterback so I think I’m going to walk into a great position." 

Two out of four CBS Sports analysts have the New York Giants selecting Parsons with the 11th pick of this year's NFL Draft, while ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. is predicting the linebacker will fall to pick No. 14 and the Denver Broncos. "There's a wide range on where Parsons could go, but his athletic testing numbers could make him a top-15 lock," Kiper says in his latest mock draft.