Steelers draft: Predicting the best available players at pick 24

Micah Parson, LB, Penn State

If Micah Parsons falls this far, I would be a bit concerned. Parsons doesn’t come without some baggage and some of the claims made against him and a few of his Penn State teammates are more than just a little bit concerning. Still, looking strictly at the football player, Parsons is about as good as they come at the linebacker position.

There are very few linebackers in the league that possess his combination of size, speed, and power. Parsons tested as a 96th percentile athlete at his Pro Day, according to Relative Athletic Scores, and his ability to dominate on all three downs is uncanny for a 6’3”, 246-pound linebacker.

Parsons has the upside and pedigree to become the very best linebacker in the league in time, and I can’t think of a player that would fit better on the Steelers defense next to Devin Bush. However, his character is a big concern, and the claims are likely even worse than we thought if Parsons is falling this far in the draft. Still, he would be the best player available to them.

The Steelers are going to have some tough decisions to make this April, and if these players are available to them, one of them could be too good to pass on. We all know Pittsburgh needs to improve their offense, but there is something to be said for taking the best player available.