Arizona Cardinals: First round 2021 NFL Draft targets
By Matt Murray
Micah Parsons
Parsons shows amazing speed and explosiveness for his size. PFF had him graded as their highest-rated linebacker prospect of the past seven years. He could be a three-down starter in the NFL due to his ability to play the run and also rush the passer.
His biggest negatives are his time off due to his COVID gap year, lack of experience dropping in man coverage, and being named as a ring leader in the hazing scandal at Penn State. He is however an alpha male that will assert himself on the field by reading and assessing the field quickly and very rarely missing a tackle.
Jaelan Phillips
Phillips shows heavy power coming off the edge and frequently overpowers tackles. He had an impressive last seven games of the season at Miami before having a tremendous pro day. He showed impressive athleticism being in the top 10 percentile in the 40-yard dash, shuttle run, and broad jump. Phillips comes with some of the biggest questions in the draft, as he has retired once already over concussion concerns and has an extensive injury history.
Zaven Collins
Collins‘ size, speed, and power have all helped shape his diverse skill set as a pass rusher, in coverage and defending the run. He effectively makes plays in space, shows great pursuit, and has good ball skills.
Collins could pair up in the future with Isaiah Simmons to make a dynamic and versatile linebacker pair behind Chandler Jones and Markus Golden.