Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1378330
tively. But even though Horn and Sur- tain beat him to the stage in Cleveland on draft night, Parsons was listed by PointsBet as the leading contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. The Cowboys like Parsons' versatility, noting that he can play a number of roles in the defense that new coordinator Dan Quinn is installing. Quinn was hired in January after a 2020 season in which Dallas finished 28th in the league in scoring defense, with opponents aver- aging 29.6 points per game. The Cow- boys are determined to improve on that side of the ball, and this year's draft, in which they spent eight of their 11 picks on defensive players, was evidence of that commitment. Quinn was asked after the draft whether he viewed Parsons as being comparable to the linebackers he helped develop at previous coaching stops in Seattle and Atlanta, players like Bobby Wagner and Vic Beasley who excelled both in pass coverage and as threats to rush the quarterback. "I don't want to say he's like a Bobby or a Vic," Quinn P E N N S T A T E D R A F T E E S MICAH PARSONS TEAM Dallas ROUND 1st PICK 12th QUOTABLE "I don't think you can be one-dimensional in this league today, with how many good backs there are – receiving backs and tight ends that are going out to the slot. I think me being versatile could have me here for a long time." FRANKLIN SAYS "What separates Micah is his intense competitive nature. ... The Cowboys are getting a phenome- nal talent who is sharp, thoughtful and is just beginning to scratch the sur- face of what he's ca- pable of becoming." ODAFE OWEH TEAM Baltimore ROUND 1st PICK 31st QUOTABLE "I'm lost for words. Start- ing from where I came from and my journey here, it's just… who would've thought? But I worked hard, and I worked a lot of hours to put myself in this position, and I believe I'm an in- triguing player and my best years of football are ahead of me." FRANKLIN SAYS "Aside from his freakish athletic ability, first and fore- most, Jayson is a great person who comes from a great family. He has tremendous upside." PAT FREIERMUTH TEAM Pittsburgh ROUND 2nd PICK 55th QUOTABLE "When I saw that Pittsburgh area code, I thought it was one of my friends from Penn State pranking me. I answered the phone, and it was Coach [Mike] Tom- lin. It was one of the best things I ever had happen, playing for an organization as storied as the Steelers." FRANKLIN SAYS "Pat is a coach's dream, and we ex- pect him to bring im- mediate value to the Steelers. ... He will go down as one of the best tight ends in Penn State his- tory." SHAKA TONEY TEAM Washington ROUND 7th PICK 246th QUOTABLE "It was hard [waiting to be selected] but I'm grateful I got the op- portunity. It doesn't matter where you got drafted. It only matters what you do when you get there, so that's what I'm fo- cused on." FRANKLIN SAYS "Shaka is built for this opportunity. He possesses a tremen- dous football IQ, and when you match this with his quickness and ath- leticism, Washing- ton is getting one heck of a football player. He provides a ton of position flexi- bility and versatility." MICHAL MENET TEAM Arizona ROUND 7th PICK 247th QUOTABLE "It's a childhood dream come true. It defi- nitely goes to show that if you put in the hard work... and love the game, the game will love you back. I'm just so thankful to the Arizona Cardi- nals for giving me a chance." FRANKLIN SAYS "We are extremely happy for Michal and the opportunity he is getting. ... Michal is a smart, athletic football player who brings value as a guy who can play multiple positions as an inte- rior offensive line- man." WILL FRIES TEAM Indianapolis ROUND 7th PICK 248th QUOTABLE "I talked to the Colts a fair amount throughout the process. I felt like they were a team in- terested in me going into [the] draft. I was just extremely blessed and lucky to have this opportu- nity and I'm looking forward to making the most of it." FRANKLIN SAYS "Will is extremely de- serving of this oppor- tunity with the Colts. He's the model of what coaches and the front office want in their organization. His mentality and approach to his preparation set him apart."