Da'Ron Parks

Bio

Height 6'5"
Weight 310 lbs
Hometown Nitro, WV
High School Nitro
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recruiting

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Class of 2026
#436 National
0.8926 Rating

Scouting Report

B+
89 / 100 Ceiling 89 • Floor 81
year 1 contributor NFL Rd 5

Da'Ron Parks is a mountainous interior offensive line prospect from Nitro (WV) and the No. 1-ranked recruit in West Virginia for the 2026 class. A composite four-star (0.8926) ranked around #350-436 nationally and a top-25 IOL, Parks wins through sheer mass and length, signing with North Carolina after a recruitment that drew Florida State, Ohio State, and Auburn.

Physical Profile

Exceptional, almost outlier size at 6-foot-5 and reportedly weighing in north of 310-350 pounds before his senior year, paired with a near 6-foot-10 wingspan that is rare even at the Power Four level. That arm length is a high-value trait for an interior lineman, allowing him to win the hand-fight, control rushers at the point of attack, and recover when initially beaten. The build is more massive than chiseled — he carries weight in his upper body — but he flashes enough foot quickness to mirror in tight quarters, which is the trait that separates a phone-booth mauler from a pure space-eater.

Play Style

A throwback drive-blocking road grader who plays best moving north-south, leaning on mass and length to bury defenders at the first level and open lanes in a downhill run scheme. On film he overwhelms high-school competition physically, and his best reps come in confined interior spaces where his anchor and wingspan neutralize twists and bull rushes. He is at his most vulnerable when asked to fire off low and sustain against leverage, where the high pad level shows up.

Strengths

  • Elite anchor and point-of-attack power — per 247Sports' Andrew Ivins he 'wins at the point of attack with his sheer mass,' meaning he stonewalls bull rushes and creates instant displacement in the run game
  • Rare wingspan (near 6-10) and frame that let him lock out defenders, control reps once he latches, and project to add functional mass without losing the radius advantage
  • Surprisingly coordinated feet for his size — shows the ability to slide and find balance in tight quarters, a key marker that his mass will translate against quicker interior college defenders

Areas to Improve

  • Pad level and leverage consistency — he tends to play tall, which negates some of his power and invites college defenders to get under his pads; he flashed lower leverage in camp settings but must make it his default in live reps
  • Conditioning and weight management — carrying 330-350+ on a young frame requires reshaping body composition to sustain late-game movement skills and avoid the lumbering tendencies that limit a heavy upper body

College Projection

Projects as a developmental interior lineman (guard, with center-to-RT positional flex possible given the length) who will likely redshirt or rotate early at North Carolina while he reshapes his body and refines leverage. With his frame and wingspan already at a college-ready baseline, a two-to-three-year runway to a starting guard role is a reasonable timeline, with the floor of a quality depth/short-yardage piece if the technique lags.

NFL Outlook

A legitimate developmental NFL frame — the near 6-10 wingspan and natural power are traits that draft evaluators covet on the interior, and players with this length/mass combination routinely earn looks. Realistic draft outcome is a Day 3/priority-free-agent projection that could rise toward mid-rounds if he wins the leverage and conditioning battle in college; the physical tools give him a higher ceiling than most four-star IOLs, but the technical refinement and pad level will determine whether he's drafted or a camp body.

Best Fit

A gap/power, downhill run-first scheme that lets him fire off and drive-block rather than a heavy zone/pull system that taxes his lateral range. He fits a program with a strong strength-and-conditioning and O-line development pipeline that can manage his body composition and coach the pad-level fix — exactly the kind of project North Carolina is betting on developing into a multi-year interior starter.

Player Comparison

David Bakhtiari Colorado • Green Bay Packers 82% match

Bakhtiari was a versatile 6'4" 299lb prospect who wasn't heavily recruited despite solid measurables, similar to Parks' 4-star rating but lower national ranking. Both players possess the size and athletic ability to play multiple positions along the offensive line, with Bakhtiari eventually becoming an elite left tackle after starting his college career at guard and right tackle.