3-Round 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Broncos, Bears trade up for quarterbacks

17. Las Vegas Raiders: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

There have been serious concerns about Jon Gruden during his second tenure with the Raiders. On top of that, Mike Mayock is also getting heat as the general manager.

There is some defending the two since they have been increasing their win total in each season since taking over the team but after going 8-8 in 2020, it feels like this season is going to be huge for them and their future prospects with the team.

But Mayock and Gruden decided not to make things easy on themselves. Already facing some heat, the duo decided to move on from some of their better offensive linemen while overpaying Kolton Miller to stick around as the left tackle. Then, they surprisingly released Maurice Hurst who had shown flashes in his shirt career.

Throw into the mix their collection of first-round picks that haven’t truly taken off and the duo is in trouble. The good news for them is, they land an elite defender in this 2021 NFL Mock Draft with Micah Parsons sliding to them at No. 17.

Las Vegas has been struggling at linebacker in the past and Parsons would put that to rest. He’s a player who can perform against the run and in coverage while also possessing the ability to blitz and disrupt the quarterback. He’s one of the best overall prospects in this class and a steal at this spot.