Nittany Lions' Parsons, Oweh selected in first round

ALTOONA, Pa. -- Thursday night will be a night former Penn State players Micah Parsons and Jayson Oweh will never forget as they were both selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Parsons was selected No. 12 overall by the Dallas Cowboys while Oweh was selected at No. 31 by the Baltimore Ravens

Parsons, a Cowboys fan growing up, is the first Nittany Lion to be drafted in the first round since Saquon Barkley was drafted No. 2 by the New York Giants in 2018 and with his selection becomes the fifth linebacker taken in the first round in program history. He is also the highest selected Penn State linebacker since LaVar Arrington was taken at No. 2 by the Washington Football Team in 2000.

The Cowboys are no strangers to drafting Penn State players having drafted 11 Nittany Lions with offensive lineman Connor McGovern being the last selected by Dallas in the 3rd round in 2019. Parsons' pick comes on the heels of former Penn State linebacker Sean Lee announcing his retirement earlier this week after an 11-year career with Dallas. 

"We could not be prouder of Micah, a young man from Harrisburg, Pa., on being select by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of this year's NFL Draft," Penn State head coach James Franklin said in a statement. "He will be a great addition to the Cowboys. What separates Micah from others is his intense competitive nature." 

Despite opting out of the 2020 season, Parsons was regarded as one of the best players in the draft and his impressive performance at Penn State's Pro Day showed just how athletic he is as he posted a 4.39-second 40-yard dash as well as a 34-inch vertical leap.

That athleticism helped ease the transition to the college level for Parsons in 2018 as he became the first freshman to start at linebacker since Cam Brown in 2016 en route to earning Freshman All-American honors from 247Sports and ESPN. Parsons finished the season with a team-high 83 tackles making him the first freshman in team history to lead the team. 

He picked up the 2019 season right where he left off making 12 starts in 13 games and notching 109 tackles and five sacks including finishing the season with three straight games with 10 tackles or more. It was in his final game wearing a Penn State uniform where Parsons had his best game, a Cotton Bowl victory over Memphis.

The game held at the home of the Cowboys, AT&T Stadium, featured Parsons accumulating 14 tackles, three tackles four loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles. 

Parsons' dreams became a reality with the Cowboys selecting him and making the Harrisburg native look like someone who could predict the future following this string of tweets in early December. 

According to Sportrac, Parsons' contract is projected to be about $17.1 million with a $9.8 million signing bonus. Parsons has an excellent opportunity to see the field early for Dallas with Lee's retirement and the injuries to Leighton Vander Esch. He will most likely stay at home at middle linebacker with Jaylon Smith at the strong side position and Vander Esch moving to the weak side to help preserve his body and let him operate in space. 

Speaking of teammates, it seems as though certain running backs named Ezekiel Elliott have started to chime in on the new guy.

What's scary for Parsons is when he hits the field for camp, he will be doing so only playing linebacker for three years as he was all over the field for Harrisburg High School at defensive end before moving to linebacker as a freshman. Parsons still has plenty of room to grow and mature on the field for the Cowboys and 

"The Cowboys are getting a phenomenal talent who is sharp, thoughtful and is just beginning to scratch the surface of what he is capable of becoming," Franklin said. 

Parsons and Dallas open the season with the Hall of Fame game which will be played in Canton, Ohio against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Oweh was projected as a first round pick before hearing his name called by the Ravens. This is despite his lack of production in the sack category as an edge rusher this year. The former Nittany Lion is raw having only played football for a few seasons, but his athleticism is through the charts.

He ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at Penn State's Pro Day and is listed at 6-foot-5, 257 pounds and has room to grow in a positive way. The Ravens are getting a player with a great motor, but is raw and can be developed into a player who can play on two feet or have a hand in the dirt. 

"I think the Baltimore Ravens are getting a layer that has a lot of upward trajectory," defensive line coach John Scott, Jr. said. "He's a young guy with elite qualities. He's a tough, physical guy that has really good hands and feet."