The pick is in: Jaguars select Derek Parish 240th overall

With the 240th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars have selected Houston EDGE/FB Derek Parish.

• Prospect name: Derek Parish
• Hometown: Pearland, Texas
• Position: EDGE/FB
• School: Houston
• Year: Sixth-year senior
• Age at draft: 24.3
• Height: 6’
• Weight: 241 lbs
• Hand Size: 9.5”
• Arm Length: 29 1/4”

Player summary from Dane Brugler of The Athletic (30th ranked running back):

Derek Parish grew up outside of Houston and attended Pearland High, where he was a standout pass rusher, earning All-District honors as a senior with 12.0 sacks. A three-star recruit, he was recruited to Houston as a linebacker before moving to edge rusher, where he spent the majority of his college career. He was on pace for a record-setting senior year before a torn bicep injury. But he returned in time for the East-West Shrine Bowl, where he transitioned to fullback (played only eight offensive snaps in his six college seasons). His tape is a balanced mix of unrelenting play speed and urgency. He has a muscular frame and caught the ball well during Shrine practices but is understandably raw as a route runner and blocker.

Overall, Parish has a limited body of work on offense, but he is passionate about football with elite competitive toughness, which will make it extremely difficult for a coaching staff to cut him. He has the makeup of a special teams ace.

Brief report from Oliver Hodgkinson of Pro Football Network:

Logan Hall might have been Houston’s leading defensive producer in terms of sacks and tackles for loss in 2021, but Derek Parish was less than a heartbeat behind the second-round draft pick. A versatile defensive player who has seen time on the defensive line and at linebacker for Houston, Parish measures in at 6’2″ and 245 pounds. He’s an impressive athlete who plays with a red-hot motor. Furthermore, he’s shown both power and finesse to win at the point of attack. Oh, and he’s also lined up at fullback during his college career.

Last word from Johnathan Micklos of Sports Info Solutions:

Derek Parish projects as a fourth edge who will primarily stand up in odd-man fronts. He wins by utilizing his strong hands and lower-body strength, but his lack of twitch will limit his pass rushing upside. While he’s undersized, he knows it and knows how to not let it play a factor. He doesn’t use a ton of rush moves, but he mixes up his bull rushes, push-pulls, and speed rushes so well that it gets offensive tackles guessing. He doesn’t have the frame to consistently hold up on the edge, but his pursuit and tackling ability more than make up for it. He showed the toughness to play fullback, having done so in college as well as at the Shrine Bowl, and that very well may be his best NFL position. One thing’s certain, he will be a core four special teamer with his FBI, toughness, and motor.

Prospect overview from Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:

Parish is an active, full-steam-ahead edge defender, but his short arms will be detrimental in helping him get away from blockers, both as a run defender and pass rusher. His body type, toughness and knockback mentality make him a strong candidate to transition to the fullback position. Parish might not hear his name called during the draft, but his special teams potential gives him a solid chance to make a team.