Miami Dolphins mock draft with Micah Parson at the top shift the focus

With their first pick, the Miami Dolphins solidify what was already a stout defensive unit.

Okay, so this name is probably familiar to most fans but it’s hard to name a player that could theoretically be selected with the third overall pick that you haven’t heard of.

Since he ‘opted out’ of the 2020 CFB season, many people forget Micah Parsons is a “do-it-all” type of player.  You need a linebacker to fill the hole and sniff out the run?  Parson’s 109 tackles (14 for loss) in 2019 shows he’s good at finding the ball behind the line of scrimmage.  If the quarterback decides to keep the ball?  Parsons started his career as a pass rusher who can beat offensive tackles.  Dropping into coverage?  He’s got the athleticism and just needs good coaching; as he’s kind of new to the linebacker position.

How does he fit?

Don’t let the pending release/trade of Kyle Van Noy fool you.  The Dolphins need help at linebacker…badly!  Andrew Van Ginkel had a good season but Elandon Roberts is a free agent, Vince Biegel is coming off a major injury, and Jerome Baker is in the final year of his contract.  For a team that likes to play a 3-4 defense, the team needs more than the likes of Calvin Munson, Sam Eguavoen, and Kami Grugier-Hill.  Parsons could line up day one at either inside or outside linebacker for the Dolphins.

A pending lawsuit against Penn State, which involved an incident with Parsons, is a cause for concern but since he wasn’t named in the suit.  If the Dolphins did decide to select Parsons, it would mean they thoroughly investigated and feel confident that the fight was a momentary lapse in judgment and he wasn’t directly involved in the bullying/sexual harassment part of the incident.