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Las Vegas Raiders land impact rookie starters in 2021 mock draft

By Sayre Bedinger

Who will Jon Gruden and the Las Vegas Raiders target in the 2021 NFL Draft? (Photo by Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
Who will Jon Gruden and the Las Vegas Raiders target in the 2021 NFL Draft? (Photo by Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports) /
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2021 NFL Draft, nfl mock draft, micah parsons, Las Vegas Raiders
BLOOMINGTON, IN – OCTOBER 20: 2021 NFL Mock Draft prospect Micah Parsons #11 of the Penn State Nittany Lions in action during the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

In this particular simulation, the Las Vegas Raiders land a pretty great value with the 17th overall pick in Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons.

A former defensive end turned off-ball linebacker, Parsons may be the best natural pass rusher in this entire draft class. With his combination of range, play speed, and aggressiveness, he’s a rare athlete at the linebacker position and someone who could be a huge impact player as a rookie.

The Raiders went out in free agency and brought in pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue. They also brought in defensive linemen Solomon Thomas and Quinton Jefferson in hopes of adding to the pass rush.

This Las Vegas defense needs to find ways to put heat on the quarterback as well as create turnovers, and Parsons is a guy who can help you do both.

Although off-field issues will need to be vetted and looked into, on the field, there is no denying Parsons’ talent. He plays with an edge and frankly, he’s only going to get better if he puts in the work off the field and in the film room.

New Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley could utilize Parsons in a similar role to what they had envisioned for Bruce Irvin long-term in Seattle in his final year with the Seahawks in 2012.

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