Trivia question:

When’s the last time the Eagles drafted a first round linebacker?

You could say Marcus Smith in 2014, though if we’re being honest with ourselves, Smith was more of a hybrid OLB and defensive end. Go back and watch the college tape and read the scouting reports that described him as an edge-rushing “tweener” coming out of Louisville.

Beyond Smith, you’d have to go all the way back to 1979, when the Birds took Jerry Robinson in the first round. And if you expand the search to look for linebackers selected in the 1st or 2nd rounds, over the past 20 years, only Mychal Kendricks, Matt McCoy, and Quinton Caver fit the bill.

It would seem, based on what we know about the Eagles andthe linebacker position, that they would not select one in the first round, nor would they do it at #6 overall.

But that’s what Todd McShay is predicting at ESPN. He’s got the Birds going for Penn State’s stud LB Micah Parsons, writing this:

“…wow, is Parsons special. He can drop in coverage, wrap up in run defense or get to the QB when turned loose on a blitz.

While wide receiver remains a problem even after drafting Jalen Reagor in the first round last April — and LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase will be tempting — this WR class is deep and still offers playmakers when Philly is back on the clock on Day 2. Trading back is an option, but if the Eagles stay home, this pick at No. 6 is all about the best player available: Parsons.”

Make no mistake, Parsons is a beast.

He opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID, but was coming off a campaign in which he was Big 10 linebacker of the year, first team all-conference, a first team All-American, and the defensive MVP in Penn State’s Cotton Bowl win. He was a preseason top five prospect on most big boards, right up there with Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Ja’Marr Chase. Parsons should be the first defensive player off the board in April and is the best prospect to come out of Happy Valley since Saquon Barkley.

The Eagles have a gaping hole at the linebacker position, and certainly if they went with Parsons at #6, they’d be getting the best player available and addressing a huge position of need at the same time. The question, really, is how the board plays out ahead of them. If DeVonta Smith is available at #6, it’s hard to imagine passing on the Heisman Trophy winner for a linebacker that didn’t play this year. It’s hard to imagine taking Parsons if Zach Wilson or Justin Fields is still on the board, with teams looking to move up and grab a franchise quarterback instead.

Parsons would be a great fit here, a top linebacker for many years, but it’s hard to imagine the Birds going LB at #6 overall after treating the position as an afterthought for the last few seasons.