Devante Parker, Miami Dolphins
DeVante Parker is another former first-round draft pick who hasn’t lived up to the hype in his short NFL career. However, unlike Ross, there have actually been rumblings of a potential trade in the past. With the Dolphins heading in a new direction at head coach, there’s a decent chance Parker could be on the move.
In his four years as a Dolphin, Parker has appeared in 54 games, starting 31. In that time he has caught 163 passes for 2,217 yards and nine touchdowns. Parker showed potential during his rookie season with an average of 19 yards per catch. That number would’ve ranked second in the NFL had he qualified.
Parker was another favorite of Mayock prior to the draft. The Louisville product ranked as the third best receiver in the draft and the ninth best player in the entire draft. He was slotted 11th overall to the Vikings in his mock draft.
Outside of just Mayock, Parker got rave reviews from other draft analysts. Bleacher Report’s NFL team compared him to Los Angeles Chargers’ receiver Keenan Allen, and wrote:
Big, strong, polished and a nightmare in the red zone, DeVante Parker is worthy of a top-10 pick in this draft class. He plays much bigger than his listed size, with excellent leaping skills, extension and body positioning to be a threat in the air. His concentration and hand strength are top-tier, and he’ll rarely lose a 50/50 ball to the defense or a drop.
Parker has excellent size at 6’3″ 209 lbs. He also ran a respectable 4.45 40-yard dash at the 2015 NFL Combine. That size/speed combination could make him a force as an outside receiver. He has also shown he has the ball skills to jump against smaller cornerbacks and be a menace in the end zone.
Parker’s luster has somewhat diminished since being in the league. He has been a potential trade candidate for what seems like two seasons. However, that could be to the Raiders’ gain. He likely wouldn’t cost more than a late round pick and could potential function as a WR1 in the team’s offense.
He certainly needs to bounce back, and he definitely isn’t a sure thing. But Parker still holds a high level of potential. Under team control until 2020, Derek Carr to DeVante Parker could become a common theme for the Oakland Raiders.
