Miami Dolphins Prospect Profile: DeVante Parker

DeVante Parker has the the combination of size and speed that can make him a perennial Pro Bowler one day in the NFL.

After releasing Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson while trading away Mike Wallace to the Minnesota Vikings this offseason, the Miami Dolphins had a ton of reforming to do to the wide receiver position.

Given the contract they were paying him and the scheme not working as well for him as originally thought, the Dolphins made a wis, but difficult decision to trade away Wallace.

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Before the draft, the Dolphins’ starting receivers were Jarvis Landry, who made a ton of strides in the 2014 season, Kenny Stills, who they traded for just a few weeks prior, and Rishard Matthews. While there was some talent at the position, the Dolphins needed to bring in a No. 1 option for Ryan Tannehill and they got that by drafting DeVante Parker.

Out of Louisville, Parker has all of the tools to be an elite wide receiver in the NFL. With an excellent combination of size and speed at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, with sub 4.40 40-yard dash speed, Parker’s intangibles are excellent. His catch-radius is absolutely huge and when you pair his tracking ability with his ball skills, it’s easy to see why he can make an impact in the NFL in a variety of ways.

Parker has the ability to win at all three levels of the defense. He has the route-running and strength to win short-passing catches, he has the toughness and consistent hands to make plays at the intermediate plays, and he has the ability to go up and bring down the football. All of these traits just make him a true No. 1 receiver and a guy quarterback Ryan Tannehill is going to love to have for many years to come.

While wide receivers Amari Cooper and Kevin White got all of the attention, Parker is a player that can be a stud at the next level as well. Perhaps the reason why his stock never received top-ten talent was because of the foot injury he suffered in the 2014 season, which made him miss the first seven games. But as NFL Network’s Mike Mayock stated on NFL.com, Parker produced tremendously when he came back:

"“Parker is a big-bodied wide receiver. What I love about this kid is that this year he came back after foot surgery and played in six games, catching 43 passes. He’s a special young man.” — Mike Mayock"

Over the course of the past two seasons in the ACC, there hasn’t been a more productive receiver than Parker. Despite the injury, his production went down a bit in the 2014 season simply because Louisville went from having Teddy Bridgewater as their quarterback to a combination of freshman Reggie Bonnafon and redshirt freshman Kyle Bolin.

By coming to Miami, Parker will get the chance to be involved immediately in Joe Philbin’s pass-happy offense. Parker has all the tools and traits to be Tannehill’s favorite target when Week 1 rolls around. Landry and Stills are both excellent complementary options, but having Parker on this offense will truly do wonders for Tannehill and the Dolphins. Don’t be surprised at all if Parker wins this year’s Rookie of the Year Award. That’s how good he is and how quickly he can make his impact felt.

Next: Miami Dolphins Draft Prospect: Jay Ajayi

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